The Boardroom
by Misha and Mary
Summary: With Jack and Erica, sometimes work is play and play is work. And with the KM family, things are never dull. Enjoy! Misha and Mary
1. Chapter 1

The Boardroom

by

Misha and Mary

Chapter One ( by Misha)

Cambias Industries had only been in Ryan Lavery's hands for seven months but the damage to the company's stock reflected a slide that seemed beyond repair. Values had dipped to an all-time low and the company was in danger of being booted off the Exchange. Despite having a soft spot for Ryan, Bianca knew she needed to take action if she was to salvage the company and secure her daughter's financial future. Without hesitation, she decided to turn to the person she'd come to depend on above all others—her beloved Uncle Jack. Bianca knew it would be an uphill battle convincing him to take over the reins of such a far-reaching company. His work experience was largely confined to the public sector; unfortunately, the corporate world never held much appeal to the independently minded attorney.

"Desperate times, desperate measures" Bianca recited to Miranda, who was nestled comfortably in her stroller. "That's what the world expects from a Kane woman, right little one?" Bianca chortled. On cue, the baby gurgled, batting her thick dark lashes. "Okay, keys, diaper bag and financial statements. I think we're ready to hit the road." Bianca pushed the stroller out the door of her recently purchased bungalow and made her way to the car.

———

Jack grabbed hold of the coffeepot for dear life. He had been up late the night before comforting Erica after another bad dream, and had only managed a few hours sleep. When he awoke around eight to the familiar noises of Reggie getting ready for school, he figured he'd just turn over and grab another hour or two of rest. He hadn't counted on having to sign a couple of test papers before his son headed out the door. Reggie's schoolwork had slipped over the last several months but after much arguing, a couple of lengthy groundings and a lot of hands-on tutoring, his son was beginning to turn the corner. It was still a little too soon, though, to let up the pressure. This year's grades would be a big factor in determining what college Reggie headed to in the fall. And, dammit, that kid was going to college.

After a couple of large gulps, Jack flopped onto the corner of his couch. Braced for the morning's news, he flicked open _The Bulletin_. On the front page was a story about the continuing rise in gas prices, an update on Philadelphia's "Clean Streets" program and a fluff piece on the Eagles' new fight song. "Better still, find a lineman that can block" Jack mumbled to himself. Few things were more painful than being a sports fan in Philadelphia. Disgusted, he propped his feet up on the ottoman and turned his attention to the Op-Ed section. Since leaving the D.A.'s office, Jack had toyed with the idea of running for office but decided that his family was still too frail to withstand the public scrutiny that went with it. Maybe next year . . .

A knock on the door roused him out of his quietude. Grudgingly he got to his feet, pulled his robe closed and opened the door to find his niece and godchild standing before him, their cheeks rosy from the cool morning air.

"Bianca, sweetheart, what brings you out here so early in the morning?" Jack said, leaning in to give his niece a kiss. "Please, come in."

"I hope I'm not disturbing you."

"Disturbing me? Don't be silly. There's no better way to start my day than with a visit from two of my favorite women. Now, come on in, make yourself comfortable and tell me what's on your mind."

After making sure Miranda was safely situated, Bianca sat down on the couch and turned her attention to her uncle. "You look tired, Uncle Jack. Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine." Bianca looked at him questioningly. "Nothing for you to worry about–"

"It's Mom, isn't it? She's still having nightmares about Las Vegas, isn't she?"

"It's just taking her a little longer than she thought to get past everything that happened. But she will. Let's face it–­there's no one stronger on this Earth than your mother."

"I know. It just seems that this family can never catch a break. We just go from crisis to crisis."

"Well, that's about to change. Things are settling down and trust me; they're going to stay that way. I promise you. There's no way I'm going to let any more harm come to this family."

"Do you really think you can keep that promise?"

"Don't tell me you're beginning to doubt your old Uncle Jack?"

"Never. As a matter of fact—"

"What?" Bianca hesitated. "Sweetheart, I can tell you have something on your mind."

"You're right, I do. I have a favor to ask you."

"Name it, it's done."

"It's a big one, Uncle Jack. You might want to hear me out before you say yes."

"Are you kidding me? There's not a thing I wouldn't do for you or for my sweet little godchild."

"Yeah, well don't say I didn't warn you."

"Duly noted. Now, tell me what it is."

Taking a deep breath, Bianca blurted out her request. "I want you to take over Cambias Industries."

"You what?" Jack said, flabbergasted.

"You heard me. I want you to run Cambias Industries for me."

"What about Ryan?"

"Ryan's great. Really. He has been terrific this whole last year, helping out during the trial, standing by Kendall during her endless bouts of insecurity. I don't think we'd be where we are today if it wasn't for all that Ryan's done."

"But?"

"But, he's just not cut out to run such a huge corporation. Don't get me wrong. He has worked his butt off trying to keep this company going. Kendall, Greenlee and Ryan have all poured their hearts and souls into the business. But for whatever reason, it's just not working."

"And you think I can help?"

"I do."

"Honey, I appreciate your confidence in me, really I do but I'm just not sure I'm the right guy for this particular job. My experience in the corporate world is limited at best."

"I know that."

"Well, then . . ."

"It's not exactly business experience I'm after, Uncle Jack."

"Then what?"

"Look at this list" Bianca said, handing Jack a sheet of paper. "Cambias Industries is an enormous company with businesses on three continents. It employs more than 13,000 people in divisions ranging from electronics to textiles, to pharmaceuticals to . . . well, the list goes on." Facing her uncle again, Bianca went on to explain that she'd be hard-pressed to find someone experienced in all facets of those industries. "What Miranda and I need" Bianca continued, glancing down at the baby for just a moment, "is someone to take charge, someone who can focus on the smallest detail without losing sight of the big picture, someone who is comfortable trusting their instincts and following through. That's you, Uncle Jack."

"I'm flattered, honey, that you think so, but I'm still not convinced that I bring what you need to the table. Cambias Industries is a corporate giant which means decisions need to be made by someone with real business acumen."

"Are you turning me down? Uncle Jack? That's what you're trying to say, isn't it?"

"What I'm saying is that I'm going to have to think about it­—seriously—before I can give you an answer."

"As long as you're not saying no. Things are going from bad to worse and if I don't do something soon . . ." Bianca trailed off.

"Sweetheart, how soon do you need an answer?"

"Actually, I was hoping to make an announcement this week. There's a board meeting on Thursday."

"Thursday? That's three days from now. Bianca, honey, I don't know if I can make a decision that big that quickly."

"I'm sorry Uncle Jack. I know this isn't fair to you or to anyone else. What with buying the house and settling Miranda in, the date just sneaked up on me. I'd put it off until next month's meeting but the way things are going, I really don't want to wait that long to make a change."

"Things are that bad?"

"It's not just Miranda's future I'm worried about. So many people depend on this company for work . . ."

"It's a huge decision, Bianca. There's not just me to consider but also Reggie, Lily, your mom, not to mention Kendall and Greenlee. Have you given any thought how they'll react to this news?"

"They're not going to be too happy about it that's for sure. In fact, they're going to be pretty angry about the whole thing. Believe me, Uncle Jack, the last thing I want to do is cause more friction in this family."

"Oh, it will cause friction. Of that, you can be certain."

"I know this isn't going to go over big with any of them–Ryan or Kendall. . . or Greenlee. And I really don't want to risk losing them. The company needs them. Kendall and Greenlee are both incredibly creative. And Ryan is amazing with our customer base. They're just so busy coming up with new ideas and new business strategies they sometimes lose sight of a lot of the detail that goes along with them. Meanwhile some of our older companies are struggling."

"How do you know all this?"

"When this one's fussing and can't get to sleep" Bianca said, pointing to Miranda "I have a lot of time to read. I just figured that as Miranda's mom I have a responsibility to know what's going on with her inheritance. So, a few months ago I had quarterly reports sent over to the house and got some books out of the library. You'll never believe this but I actually got a subscription to the _Wall Street Journal_."

"I'm impressed. And, I must say, you certainly sound like you know what you're talking about. So, why not just take control of the company yourself?"

"You're kidding, right?"

"I'm dead serious. I think you're more than up to the task."

"Even if I thought that was true, which I don't, there's no way I'm spending my days locked up in a boardroom while Miranda is raised by nannies. Not after all I went through to get her."

"She is gorgeous."

"She looks more like Mom every day" Bianca beamed.

"Oh, I don't know about that. I think she has her mother's beautiful eyes and that dimple definitely came from the Montgomery side of the family."

"I'm sure it did" Bianca said smiling. "Here—"

"What's this?" Jack replied, taking the overstuffed manila envelope from Bianca's hands.

"They're our financial statements for the last three quarters. Read them and you'll see what I mean." Miranda let out a wail. "I think someone's hungry, aren't you, little one?" Bianca said, soothingly. "Uncle Jack, please. Give this idea some real thought. We both really need you. I promise—you say yes and I'll do anything you want!"

"Anything, huh?" Jack said, teasing his niece.

"Within reason, of course."

"Of course. Well, how about you start by giving your mother a call every once in a while. She really misses hearing from you."

"Uncle Jack—"

"I know, I know. Things are still pretty strained between the two of you. Sweetheart, the only way to make things better is for you two to start talking again."

"Why is it that I always have to be the one to give in?"

"No one's asking you to give in. All I'm asking is that you pick up the phone and give your mom a call. She needs to hear from you. And unless I completely miss my guess, you need to hear from her too. Don't let too much time go by Bianca. You'll never be able to get it back. And don't be such a stranger around here either. I miss my goddaughter and my niece."

"I'll try."

"Promise?"

"Yes, I promise."

"And I promise to give your proposal some serious consideration. Now, get this baby home and give her something to eat."

"I love you" Bianca said, hugging her uncle.

"I love you too, honey" Jack replied, holding his niece tight.

———

Closing the door behind him, Jackson heard a stir. Startled, he turned and saw Erica, clothed only in the blue shirt he had worn the night before. Though her hair was tousled and she had only the faintest remnants of last night's makeup, Jack was convinced he had never seen her look more beautiful.

"Hello, sleepy head" he said languidly and kissed her gently on her forehead. "I hope I didn't wake you."

"Who was that at the door?"

"It was Bianca and the baby. I was going to wake you but you were sleeping so soundly I didn't have the heart."

"Or did Bianca specifically ask that you not get me?" Erica inquired defensively.

"I promise you. Bianca never said any such thing."

"But she didn't ask to see me either, did she?"

"No honey, she didn't. But I wouldn't read too much into that. Bianca came here to discuss business with me, that's all."

"Business? With you?"

"Why do you seem so surprised?"

"I'm not" Erica shrugged. "I guess it just never occurred to me that she would come to you with a business matter. I mean, that's hardly your area of expertise."

Jack's eyebrows shot up. "Oh, really; is that so?"

"That's not what I mean. It's just that Bianca used to come to me when she had a problem and I'm just afraid those days are gone forever." Shaking her head, Erica continued. "I've lost my daughter, Jack, forever."

"That's not possible. You could never lose Bianca."

"Once I used to believe that but ever since I got home, Bianca's been so distant. I know I hurt her, Jack, honestly, I do. She has every reason to be angry with me. I just don't know if she'll ever find a way to trust me again. And, frankly, I don't know that I can blame her. I walked out on her when she needed me most. How can I ever possibly expect her to forgive me?"

"Time, Erica, that's all Bianca needs. She could no more live without you in her life than you could without her."

"I don't know Jack—"

"Trust me, Erica, please. Trust that I know she'll come back to you. If you can't believe it for yourself, believe in me when I say things will get better between you two, that you'll find a way back to each other, that soon you'll be mother and daughter again."

"Oh, Jackson, I want that so much, more than anything. I just pray that you're right."

"I am, sweetheart, I am." Jack pulled Erica to him, kissing her deeply and slowly her fears melted away.

———

For the second time that morning, Jack held Erica until she drifted off to sleep. The ordeal in Las Vegas had taken its toll but with each passing day he saw a little more life reflected in Erica's eyes. He made a promise to himself that this time, he would not let go of Erica until he had coaxed her all the way back, until she was again filled with the fire and determination he had first fallen in love with all those years ago.

As he gazed down at her petite form buried beneath a layer of chenille, Jack was struck with an idea so powerful it left him breathless. Restoring Erica's self-confidence would take a lot more than holding her close and reassuring her of his love and commitment. The rest of the healing would have to come from within. She needed to break out of the cocoon he had created for her and return to the world of the living. Where better than by his side, helping him revive Cambias Industries? And maybe, just maybe it would heal the rift that had grown between Erica and her daughter.

———

Bianca had just settled Miranda down for her afternoon nap when the phone rang. It was her Uncle Jack.

"Sweetheart, I've made a decision—"

Bianca was more than a little surprised when she heard the condition Jack placed on accepting the job as Cambias Industries' CEO. Her mother was to be named President of Marketing and Development, essentially serving as Jack's right hand. As badly as Bianca thought Ryan, Kendall and Greenlee were going to take the news about Jack's new title, she knew it would pale in comparison to their reaction toward her mother joining the fold. And, to be honest, she wasn't too thrilled with the idea herself. It wasn't so long ago that her mother's behavior could only be described as erratic. Sure, her mother built Enchantment from the ground up. And, yes, Erica had a reputation as a keen businesswoman, but still . . . did she really want her mother to wield so much control over her life? But her uncle made it pretty clear: it was all or nothing. What choice did she really have? And so, reluctantly, she agreed.

———

When Jack hung up the phone, he sighed with relief. _One Kane woman down, one to go_ he thought to himself. Of course, compared to Erica, Bianca was a pushover. How was he going to convince the love of his life that working together at Cambias Industries was a smart business move, not a desperate attempt on his part to help Erica get back on her feet? The last thing she'd want is anyone's pity. After mulling it over, he decided the best tact was to be completely candid—that, or appeal to her ego. Jack glanced at his watch; it was 3:30—Erica would be back from her manicure any minute. He quickly scattered the financial statements Bianca had left for him that morning around the sofa and coffee table, tossing a few to the floor for effect. _Okay, now look busy_ he thought to himself. _Dammit, my glasses—I can't read a thing without them these days._ He grabbed them off the kitchen counter and made himself comfortable on the couch, waiting for Erica to return. No sooner did he settle into the cushion than she walked through the door.

"Hi, sweetheart. Back so soon?"

"I couldn't get out of there fast enough. Brooke was there and I couldn't stand listening to her interminable chatter for another minute. Honestly, Jack, she can go on for hours and say absolutely nothing of interest."

"We're in a good mood, aren't we?"

"I'm in a fine mood—at least I was until I ran into her. You'd think that magazine would keep her off the streets and out of my hair."

"Yes, well, even Publishers need to get their nails done from time to time—especially with all that typing they must do . . ."

"You're making fun of me, aren't you?"

"Just a little. Listen, why don't you sit down and talk to me for a little bit. I could use a break."

Erica took a good look at the room. It was neat as a pin when she left earlier in the day but now it was in a shambles. "Did a bomb explode while I was gone? What on Earth are all of these papers, anyway?"

Jack made a feeble attempt at explaining away the mess. "Nothing for you to concern yourself with—it's just that information Bianca dropped off for me this morning" Jack replied, casually placing the papers he was holding directly in Erica's line of vision. "So my love, what's on your agenda for the rest of the afternoon? Are you still working on that book you were reading yesterday?"

Erica's eyes lingered on the reports. "Hmmm, I'm sorry; what did you say?"

Jack suppressed a smile. "The novel, Erica—are you still reading it or is it time for another trip to the book store. I really think it's good that you're keeping yourself so busy."

"Jack, what's this note you scribbled over there about stock devaluations?"

"Don't worry about it, sweetheart. You have enough on your mind already."

"Really? Like what—who Jessica's going to sleep with; Kenneth or Jeffrey? Honestly, Jack, you're treating me like I'm some fragile piece of glass. Believe it or not, I do still have a few working brain cells—not that they're doing anyone any good."

_This is going to be easier than I thought._ "Sweetheart, I never meant to imply that you didn't. It's just that you've been through so much, you should really just take it easy. I don't think it's a good idea to burden you with anything else."

"Burden me? I'm sorry. Since when is it a burden to ask a few simple questions about business, business that concerns Bianca and my grandchild?"

"I just thought—"

"I'll tell you what you thought! You thought that Bianca and her company would be better off without my interference, that's what you thought. Please forgive me for overstepping my bounds!" Erica leaped off the couch, about to make a quick getaway when Jackson grabbed hold of her arm.

"Let go of me."

"Erica, I'm sorry. Let me explain."

"What's to explain? You've made it perfectly clear how you feel—"

"No, I haven't. In fact, I've been doing everything but that."

"Excuse me?"

"Forget it. Look, I was purposely egging you on, trying to trick you into doing exactly what you want to do all along."

"You do realize that I have absolutely no idea what you're going on about."

"Yeah, you've made that pretty clear. Look, forget about everything that just happened here; obviously my approach was all wrong."

"Your approach?"

"Never mind. I want you to do something for me."

"Such as?

"Such as. . . .such as. . . . Come here."

Erica stood immobile, poised for battle, with a beautiful scowl neatly in place. "Come here" Jack softly repeated and pulled her into his arms. "I owe you an apology," he said, kissing her deeply. "That's for trying to trick you. And this," he huskily whispered, "this is for underestimating you." Erica softened in his arms, putting her anger temporarily on hold. "Mmmm, and this, this is just because I can't ever get enough of you." They stood rooted to the floor, their arms intertwined, devouring one another, feasting on each other, savoring every moment. Their lungs burned as they lost themselves in each other's arms, forgetting for the moment they had a human need to breathe.

When they finally came up for air, Erica slugged Jackson, throwing him off balance.

"What was that for?" Jack asked, rubbing his chin.

"Why don't you tell me? I believe you said something about tricking me—"

"I did, didn't I?" Jack moved toward Erica seductively, trying to pick up where a moment ago, they so rudely left off.

"Oh, no you don't. Not until you tell me exactly what's going on."

"Fine. Have it your way. You always do." Jack sat back down on the couch, motioning Erica to join him. "It's about Cambias Industries" he began.

———

"You want me to do what?"

"I want you to work with me, side-by-side, to get Cambias Industries back on its feet."

"Side-by-side?"

"Only if that's the closest you can get" Jack said, trying unsuccessfully to pull Erica into an embrace.

"Except that you're the CEO and I'm the . . .?"

"President of Marketing and Development—unless, of course, you prefer another title. I really don't care as long as it means that we do this together."

"With you in charge?"

"That's how Bianca wants it. And, frankly, you haven't been doing too good a job on your own these days. Wouldn't it be nice to lean on someone for a change, especially if that someone is me."

"Don't flatter yourself."

"I wouldn't dream of it" Jack said, smiling. "I'll let you do that for me. . . Come on, you know it's a terrific idea. Spending all day together in the office, spending all night together in bed. It's something we dreamed of for so long. Why not just go for it and let it happen?"

"And you're sure that Bianca's okay with this?"

"I wouldn't have suggested it if I didn't already have her okay."

"And Greenlee and Kendall?"

"Bianca's wants to make an announcement at the stockholders' meeting this Thursday. Personally, I think we should break the news to the family first but that's her decision. Any way you look at it, it's going to come as a huge blow. In the blink of an eye, Greenlee, Kendall and Ryan are going to find themselves with a new boss—actually two new bosses. I think it's a pretty safe assumption they're not going to be too pleased. But we'll deal with it. Together. After all, together is what we do best. Speaking of which, how about we focus on just you and me for the rest of the night? We could start with dinner, then some dancing and then . . . then we

could . . ."

Whatever it was that Jack whispered in Erica's ear, it elicited a soft laugh, followed by a low moan. "Consider it my first executive decision." Jack lifted Erica off the couch and made his way to their bedroom.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two (by Mary)

The door closed behind the last of the stockholders and Kendall, Greenlee and Ryan turned as one to face Bianca, Jack and Erica. "How could you do this, Binks?" Kendall demanded. "And with no warning."

"Couldn't we at least have talked about this?" Ryan asked in a calmer manner.

"My decision had already been made so there was no point," Bianca replied. "I knew that you would just try to talk me out of it. This has nothing to do with the jobs each of you have done. You've poured your hearts and souls into this company for Miranda and me and I appreciate it. It's just not working the way that it should right now. We're too diversified. We need to figure out what it is we want to concentrate on, dump some of the companies we don't need and streamline what we have."

"We could do all of that, Bianca — whatever you want," Kendall said. "I just don't see why we need to bring Jack and Erica into it."

"I need someone to oversee the whole thing so that you three can concentrate on what you do best," said Bianca. "Someone I trust, someone I know can be objective and look at the big picture. That someone is Uncle Jack."

"Look, I don't have any problem with Jack being CEO," Greenlee chimed in. "But Erica, are you sure you're up to this? I mean, after everything that's happened…."

"You can drop the phony concern, Greenlee," Erica said. "You're just going to have to deal with this."

Jack stepped between Erica and Greenlee. "There's no reason we can't all make this work. This is what Bianca wants. I know I can count on all of you. After all, that's what families are for, right?" Ryan, Kendall and Greenlee looked somewhat abashed. "Look, as soon as I get up to speed, I'll send out an email clarifying the changes in the chain of command," Jack said. "I truthfully don't see that many changes for the three of you. Ultimately, you'll have more time to do what you really enjoy."

"Speaking of which, I have to finish the proofs for the new Fusion ad campaign," said Greenlee, heading toward the door.

"Good, then I'll be expecting them later today," Erica said casually.

Greenlee stopped in her tracks. "What for?" she asked slowly.

"Well, for my approval, of course," Erica said sweetly, savoring the moment. "Did you miss the part where I'm the President of Marketing and Development?"

"Dad–" Greenlee looked at Jack pleadingly. "Greenlee, we'll work this out," Jack said, putting his arm around her and escorting her out the door. Ryan and Kendall followed, deep in conversation.

Bianca turned to her mother. "I hope you're feeling up to this, Mom," she said. "To be honest with you, I wasn't sure what to think when Uncle Jack suggested it."

"Meaning you'd rather I hadn't agreed to it?" Erica asked.

"No, not exactly," Bianca answered. "I hope it will be good for you, I really do."

"I'm looking forward to doing something productive," said Erica. "I want to be able to help straighten things out here—for you and for Miranda."

Erica could feel the tension in the air as soon as she brought up Miranda. Bianca immediately backed away and headed for the door. It saddened Erica to have this rift between them yet she didn't know how to mend it. In all honesty, she couldn't blame Bianca for feeling the way she did. She just wished that she could think of a way to convince Bianca that she regretted what she had done and that she was ready to accept Miranda as her granddaughter.

"How about lunch tomorrow?" she asked. "We still have so much catching up to do."

"Tomorrow isn't good, Mom," Bianca said. "I'll call you. Right now I have to go over a couple of things with Uncle Jack" and darted out the door.

Erica helplessly watched her leave. _Jack is right_, she thought, _this is going to take time. I just have to keep at it until Bianca believes me._ As she gathered up her notes from the meeting, Erica was surprised at how invigorated she felt being back in the corporate world. _Maybe, just maybe, this is all going to work out_, she thought as she walked out the door.

———

Jack was deep in concentration when the door flew open and Erica burst in. He looked at her over the stack of files on his desk. He was pleased that she already looked more alive than she had since coming home. He could also see that she was unhappy about something.

"Jack, there is no way that I can work in that closet that they call an office!" she railed at him. "This entire floor is under construction. There isn't a single available office except that one and I absolutely refuse to work in it!"

"OK, sweetheart, relax, we'll think of something," Jack said, frowning as two men appeared in the doorway carrying a large desk.

"Right over there should be just fine," Erica said, giving them her most dazzling smile. They both stared at her, almost dropping the desk. "That's perfect, thank you so much," she said.

"Erica, what's going on?" Jack asked as the two men left the office, one of them almost bumping into the door on the way out.

"Since I can't work in that ridiculous office, I decided we'll share this one," Erica said. "Isn't that wonderful?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess so," Jack replied somewhat uneasily.

"What?" Erica asked suspiciously. "You said side by side, didn't you? This office is huge. There's plenty of room for both of us. I promise I won't get in your way if that's what you're thinking."

"I'm thinking that you'll be a definite distraction," he told her, "but I'm not complaining." He walked over to her and drew her into his arms. "I'm very proud of you for the way you handled things this morning. I know it wasn't easy."

"I actually thought it would be worse," she admitted. "I'm surprised at how much I'm enjoying this already and I owe it all to you for thinking of it." She reached up and kissed him lightly.

"Well, you can thank me later," he suggested, kissing her back. "Right now I have to get caught up on these files so I can figure out what I'm doing."

"I'll just go and get the rest of my things," she said. "Then I'll get right to work."

Jack watched her leave, amazed at how quickly she was bouncing back now that she had some purpose in her life. He knew that their family could not be whole again until Erica and Bianca found their way back to each other and he had faith that somehow this arrangement would help accomplish just that.

———

Erica precariously balanced the pizzas as she struggled to unlock the door. She breathed a sigh of relief when Reggie flung the door open and promptly grabbed them from her.

"It's about time!" he said with the enthusiasm only a teenager could muster for food. "I'm starving! Where's J?"

"He's still at the office," Erica said, setting the stack of files that were her constant companion down on the counter. "He said he'd be here as soon as he could."

"Man, we haven't seen him all week," Reggie said, already starting on the pizza.

**Erica walked over to Lily. "How was your day, honey?" she asked her.**

"**Good," Lily replied somewhat hesitantly. "Reggie and I went to the park after school."**

**Erica had hoped that things wouldn't start to backslide with Lily now that Jack was spending so much time at Cambias Industries. So far Lily seemed to be adapting well. Her tutor came several days a week after school and when Reggie had basketball practice. Bianca, Kendall and Greenlee also took turns stopping by. **

"**Starting next week, Jack and I will be taking an afternoon off every week," Erica reassured them. "And then you'll be complaining that you see too much of us."**

"**I don't know about that," Reggie said. "You're both becoming a dim memory for me."**

"**Message received, Reggie," said Erica with a smile. "Believe me, we're on it."**

**Most of the pizza disappeared over the next half hour as Erica chatted with Reggie about school and with Lily about her studies at school and with her tutor. Before they knew it, it was late and the three of them were yawning.**

"Lily, I'll come to your room in five minutes to say goodnight," Erica said, knowing that Lily would expect her at that exact time. Reggie hesitated in the hallway, looking back at Erica.

"Is there something you want to talk about, Reggie?" Erica asked him.

"Not really," Reggie started down the hallway and then stopped. "Are you really staying Erica?" he asked suddenly.

"What?" Erica was stunned at his question.

"You're not going to run out on us again, are you? Because if you are, I'd rather know about it now," Reggie said, completely serious.

"No, Reggie, of course not," Erica protested. "I can't tell you how much I regret everything that happened. I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to make things right with Bianca and make it up to all of you."

"I hope you mean that," Reggie said, "I don't think I can stand seeing Jack go through that again, Erica, I really don't. I mean, you're here and everything seems great and then someone will say something and we're all thinking, are we pushing too much, are we giving her enough space, is she gonna want to go off by herself again?"

Erica was flabbergasted. She hadn't thought about things from that viewpoint before. She supposed she couldn't blame them for feeling that way after what she had put them through. She had insisted that they leave her alone for so long that it made sense they would be nervous about her reacting that way again.

"Reggie, I'm here to stay," Erica said. "No more running away. This is where I want to be. OK?"

"OK." He gave her a brief smile and disappeared down the hallway.

Erica stopped in Lily's room to say goodnight and then started getting ready for bed. She hoped Jack wouldn't be too much later. As she brushed her hair, she thought about what Reggie had said. She knew that things between Jack and her weren't exactly back to where they had been but she realized that it would take time. She knew deep down in the depths of her being Jack loved her; of that she was sure. He had taken wonderful care of her since she had been back, devoting all of his time to making sure she felt safe and loved.

She had noticed that Jack wasn't completely relaxed around her though, as if he was afraid of doing or saying the wrong thing at times. Now, thinking about what Reggie had said, she wondered if he was afraid that she was going to leave again. As close as they were, the subject of their engagement had not come up again. When any serious talk about their relationship arose, Jack deftly changed the subject. The more she thought about it, the more she thought that she could be right. I have to tell him how much I love him, she thought, and that I'm not going anywhere. She glanced at the clock and picked up her book, hoping that he would walk through the door at any minute.

———

Jack opened the door to the bedroom and walked in. It was much later than he had anticipated and he was exhausted. As much as he wanted to talk to Erica about her day, he was actually relieved to see that she was sleeping. He considered it a good sign that she could fall asleep without him there and that the past couple of nights had passed without any bad dreams. He looked down at her as he removed his jacket and tie. He never ceased to be amazed by her beauty, especially at times like these. With her hair splayed out against the pillow and her face devoid of make-up, she was breathtaking as she slept. He was quiet as he bent down to kiss her but she suddenly stirred and her eyes opened.

"Hey," she said, smiling at him. She pulled him down so that he sat on the bed beside her.

"Hey yourself," he said. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's OK," she replied. "I didn't mean to fall asleep. I was hoping you wouldn't be so late."

"I know, I'm exhausted," Jack said. "How were the kids tonight? Disappointed?"

"They miss you but they're fine," Erica said. "I, however, missed you unbearably."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, really," she said, bringing his mouth down to hers and kissing him softly, then drawing back to look at him searchingly. "I love you, Jackson Montgomery," she said. "I hope you know that."

"Of course I do," he said. "And I love you. Why so serious? Is there something we need to talk about?"

"Actually, I–" The ringing of the phone stopped Erica's words. "Don't answer it," she said.

"Honey, I have to. It might be the call I'm expecting from the European office," he said, picking up the phone. "Hold that thought."

Jack listened to the head of the European office drone on about the changes at Cambias, walking out into the living room to grab a file. After ten minutes of damage control, he hung up and made his way back to the bedroom. Jack smiled when he saw that Erica was once again asleep. The work schedule at Cambias was taking its toll on both of them, he thought. Whatever she had wanted to discuss would have to wait until tomorrow.

———

As she talked on the phone with the head of the Advertising Department, Erica watched Jack. He was on the phone as well but he was talking softly and Erica couldn't hear what he was saying. From the tone of his voice she could tell that Jack was being extremely charming and she knew from experience that the person on the other end of the line would have a hard time trying to resist.

That morning, Jack and Erica had left the loft in a flurry of activity, both of them running late and consequently there had been no time to continue last night's conversation. Thinking of that brought Erica back to the present and the realization that she needed to end this call so she could talk to Jack. Unfortunately, all of her facts and figures were getting her nowhere with the Advertising Department head so she changed tactics, softening her voice and pouring on the charm. She smiled as she felt the conversation turn in her favor. Watching Jack, Erica could swear she saw an amused smile playing at the corner of his mouth as he hung up his phone. Meanwhile, Erica artfully dodged the department head's dinner invitation and simultaneously agreed with him that she had been right all along. She then hung up her phone and walked over to Jack's desk.

"Why don't we go out for lunch?" she asked. "Or better yet, why don't we go home for lunch? The kids aren't home this afternoon," she added, her meaning clear.

"Sweetheart, I'd love to but I can't," Jack replied, engrossed in the file in front of him. "I've got a meeting and if I don't leave in five minutes, I'm going to be late."

Erica waited until she was behind him and then leaned over and slowly removed his glasses. "You know what they say about all work and no play," she said teasingly.

"Yes, I do," he replied, turning in the chair and pulling her onto his lap. "I know I promised you this would be fun – and it will be. We just need to get up to speed on all of this and then we can relax."

"I can think of other ways we can relax," Erica said, running her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck and kissing him just behind his ear.

"Uh, sweetheart, I really do need to get going," he said as she kissed her way along his jaw line. "How about a nice, quiet dinner tonight? Just the two of us. I can stop at the Serving Spoon on my way home and–" he stopped when her lips reached his mouth.

"That sounds wonderful," she said, her lips just barely touching his.

"Yes, it does," he murmured, looking at her in a way she knew only too well. She was disappointed when he set her back on her feet and stood up.

"As – relaxing – as this is, I have to go," he told her. "Why don't you call Opal for lunch? You haven't seen her in a while. I'm sure she'd love to catch up." He kissed her quickly and headed out the door.

Erica sighed and walked back over to her desk. Lunch with Opal suddenly did seem appealing, another way of easing back into her old life. She could use a dose of Opal's homespun advice on how to get things back to the way they were between Jack and her. She picked up the phone and dialed her best friend's number.

———

Erica arrived at the Valley Inn dining room five minutes early and a quick glance confirmed that Opal wasn't there yet. The waiter smiled at her. "Are you meeting someone, Miss Kane?" he asked.

"Yes, I am. She should be here any minute. I'll just wait for her here," Erica said, turning to wait by the door. She suddenly caught a glimpse of a familiar blond head across the room and smiled. What a coincidence that Jack's meeting was at the Inn as well. She immediately thought that Opal and she could join him once his meeting was over.

She looked over at Jack's companion and an unsettled feeling suddenly came over her. She didn't recognize the attractive blonde woman sitting with Jack but there was no mistaking the look on her face as she smiled across the table at him. Her eyes never left his face as she listened attentively to what he was saying. Erica watched incredulously as Jack reached over to refill the woman's wineglass and she reached out and touched his hand. He smiled and they both laughed.

Erica stood as if turned to stone and then, possessed by an emotion she couldn't remember feeling in a long time, she started across the dining room toward their table.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three (by Misha)

Erica was halfway across the room when she spotted the headwaiter, Enrique, coming toward her. Without breaking stride, she gave him her brightest smile and liberated the pitcher of water he was carrying. Erica was two steps from striking distance when Jack spotted her.

"Erica, no!" Jack shouted but he was too late. Though never much of an athlete, Erica's aim could not have been more perfect. As he leapt from his chair, the napkin that had been resting on his lap fell to the floor. In its place came a torrent of ice water. Stunned, Jack lunged for her arm but Erica deftly moved out of reach, calmly turning her attention to his dining companion.

"I'm sorry, we haven't met" Erica said extending her arm for a perfunctory handshake. "Erica Kane, President of Marketing and Development. And you are—" she inquired, ever so sweetly.

Furiously dabbing his lap with the towel Enrique discreetly dropped at the table, Jack brusquely replied. "This is Mariele Girtz, senior partner of the architectural group we hired to upgrade the building. She and I were just about to discuss our lack of office space in the executive suites."

"I just bet you were" Erica responded sarcastically.

"Ms. Kane, your reputation doesn't do you justice. Why, you're even more charming than I was originally led to believe" Mariele offered coolly, her Swedish accent barely masking the contempt coursing through her veins.

"Ladies, please. We're in a public place and I think we've already drawn more than our share of attention. How about both of you go back to your corners and we finish this meeting up in my office. Sound good?"

"Jack, I'm afraid that's not possible. I have a conference call with Lars at 2:30, followed by a 3 o'clock with another client. And unless I just misunderstood, Ms. Kane requires your undivided attention at this moment. Until later, yes?" Mariele rose from her seat and conspicuously kissed Jackson on each cheek, flashing Erica a departing smile.

As Mariele glided toward the door, Jack relaxed back in his seat and shot Erica an admonishing look. "Yes, well if you'll excuse me" Erica said dismissively. "Opal just arrived."

Jack stood up and blocked her way. "Oh, no you don't. You don't create a scene like you just did and walk away as if nothing happened. That's not how it's going to work. Not today, not ever again."

"Jack, please, lower your voice. People are beginning to stare."

"And since when did you give a damn about people staring at you? It certainly didn't seem to bother you a moment ago when you all but accused me of planning to do God knows what with Mariele. And it sure as hell didn't bother you when you dumped a pitcher of water on me."

"Don't you get holier than thou with me, Jackson Montgomery. None of that would have happened if you had just been honest with me when I asked you to join me for lunch. But, instead you led me to believe that you had a meeting, on-site and certainly not with some six-foot tall Viking."

"Excuse me, you two," Opal interrupted "but if you don't want half of Pine Valley's snootiest citizens to know your business, I suggest you turn down the volume on this never-ending road show of yours and hightail it out of here like pronto, if you know what I mean."

Jack and Erica continued to glower at each other, neither one willing to back down.

"I said skedaddle" Opal implored "before I give you both a piece of my mind."

Despite their arguing, Jack and Erica were in complete agreement on one thing. Sitting through an Opal lecture was a price neither one of them was willing to pay, no matter what the cost. Immediately, the two warring parties made their excuses, locked arms and sauntered out of the dining room. Just as they made it to the front door, Jackson turned to Erica and, between gritted teeth said "we're not done with this."

"You better believe we're not." With a toss of her hair Erica removed her arm from his and walked swiftly to her car.

———

Ten minutes later Jack entered the loft and found Reggie and Lily finishing up a game of chess. "Who won? Let me guess . . . Lily beat you again?"

Reggie winced. "Yeah? What's your point?"

Jack laughed. "Don't take it personal. She's a chess genius."

"Daddy, your pants are wet."

Now it was Reggie's turn to laugh. "J, man, you have an accident or something?"

Jack nodded, returning the question with a weak smile. "Something like that."

"Are you hurt, daddy?" Lily inquired. "I can call a doctor. They taught me how to do that at school. But only if it's serious."

"Thanks, sweetheart, but I'm fine. I just need to change my clothes."

"You're heading back to the office?" Reggie asked.

"I'm afraid so. I still have a pile of work on my desk."

"Guess that means you'll be getting home late–again."

"Reggie, man, I'm sorry. I know I haven't been around much these last few weeks, but I promise, that's going to change . . . soon."

"Whatever. . ."

Jack walked over to Reggie and put his arm around his shoulder. "No, not whatever. Soon. As a matter of fact, how about I take both of you out for dinner this evening. Burgers and fries. Just the three of us–"

"I'd like that Daddy. I like hamburgers. But no ketchup, okay?"

"No ketchup, I promise."

"What about Erica, Jack?"

"What about her?"

"I just figured that if you could get out in enough time to have dinner with us . . . that maybe Erica–"

"Not this time, Reggie. This time it's just going to be me and my two kids."

"If you say so . . ."

"I do. Now if you two will excuse me, I have to quick change and get back to the office if we're to stand any chance of having burgers in our future."

A moment after Jack retreated to his room, Lily followed, deciding to finish the book she was reading. She had thirty pages to go and had fallen behind schedule when her father arrived home unexpectedly. Reggie, on the other hand, planted himself on the couch and waited for Jack to return. When he reappeared, Reggie cornered him.

"So, Jack, why don't you tell me what's really going on between you and Erica."

"Who says anything's going on, Reggie?"

"I do. Your 'accident' had Erica's name written all over it."

"Oh, it did, did it?"

"Tell me I'm wrong. Go ahead, deny it if it's not true."

"Reggie–"

"I knew it. You two had a fight. Again."

"It was a simple misunderstanding."

"Jack, man, haven't you learned yet that there's no such thing as a simple misunderstanding when it comes to Erica."

"And you're the expert on her because . . . ?"

"Come on, Jack. You know I'm right. If you can't admit it to me, at least admit it to yourself."

Jack shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Fine, you're right. But it's no big deal. Believe me, there's nothing for you to worry about."

"I'm not worried or at least I won't worry–not if you apologize to her, that is."

"And just what makes you think I have anything to apologize for. Did it ever occur to you that I might be the wronged party here?"

"Like that matters. Come on, J. Unless Erica set fire to Greenpea or something, you know she's not going to apologize. Come to think of it, if she did set fire to Greenlee, I'm not so sure that would qualify for an apology either."

"You're a funny guy, you know that? Look, whatever's going on is between Erica and me and I want you to stay out of it. Got it?"

"Yeah, I got it."

"Promise me you're not going to interfere. . . promise me."

"Okay, I promise. But you better not let this thing get out of control."

Jack put his arm around Reggie's neck, pulling him close and gave him a quick kiss on his forehead. "I'll keep that in mind. Look, I gotta go. I love you, man." Jack grabbed his keys off the kitchen counter and headed toward the door.

"I love you too." As the door closed behind him, Jack heard Reggie's words trail off. ". . . just remember what I said." Jack hated to admit it but the kid was right. Better to nip this thing in the bud.

———

When he returned to the office, Jack found Erica locked in a heated argument with Greenlee. Thinking back to his conversation with his son, he quickly scanned the room for a pack of matches. With none in sight, he leaned in the doorway, silently taking in the scenery.

"For the fifth time, Greenlee, you've made your point. As soon as I get a moment, I'll take a look at the proposal and make a recommendation. Now, can we move on to the 'Ocean Spirit' campaign. That is why I called this meeting."

"Just for the record, Erica, I can't be expected to drop everything at a moment's notice just because you decide you want to have a meeting. My father may have appointed you President but that doesn't mean you would have gotten my vote. Frankly, I'm not sure you're up to the job."

"Yes, well, your opinion of me means so much. I'm not sure how I'll get through the day knowing you don't have confidence in my abilities, particularly with your 'oh-so-impressive' resume."

"Okay, you two, that's enough. This is a place of business, not a sparring ground."

"Stay out of this Jack. This is between Greenlee and me."

"Yes, well, in case you didn't notice, this is also my office, at least it was until you moved in here" Jack grumbled, muttering the last part so that only Erica was able to hear.

"Greenlee, would you excuse us for a moment? Your father and I have a few matters to discuss."

"What am I, some kind of yo-yo? One minute you summon me here, the next you dismiss me?" Greenlee gave a quick glance to see if anything she said was registering on her father's face but was met with an impassive look. "Fine, I'll go, but don't expect me to come running to you the next time you need a punching bag." Greenlee snatched her planner off of Erica's desk and stormed out of the room.

Jack sat down on the corner of his desk and crossed his arms across his chest. "Just spreading the joy everywhere you go, are you?"

"No, I believe that's your game, Jackson. First Mariele, and then, who knows? Why, I'm exhausted just thinking about it" Erica replied flippantly.

"Come on, Erica. You know perfectly well that there is absolutely nothing going on between Mariele and me!"

"Do I?"

"Yes, you do. From the moment you returned to Pine Valley you know that I've been behind you, mind, body and soul. Hell, I've been that way since the first day I met you."

"Aren't you forgetting about Laurel . . . and Brooke . . . and Angelique . . . and–"

"You know damn well they never stood a chance against you. From the moment I laid eyes on you, I knew you were the only one for me. Don't you think it's about time you admitted the same thing."

"Aren't you being just a little overdramatic?"

"I'm being overdramatic?" Jackson replied incredulously. "If you'll remember, it was you that pitched a fit at the Valley Inn today–not me."

"I did NOT pitch a fit!" Erica countered huffily but was met with a look of utter disbelief. "Okay, maybe I overreacted, just a little. But you're not exactly innocent in all of this."

"And, just what did I do?"

"I saw you, charming her with that smile of yours. That twinkle in your eyes positively radiated sex."

"Oh, it did, did it?" Jack said, suddenly amused.

"Yes it did. And frankly, I was embarrassed for you. I mean, honestly, Jack, if you can't succeed in business on merit alone–"

"Uh, huh" Jack responded seductively.

"Don't you 'uh, huh' me. I'm serious."

"I just bet you are" Jack continued, moving toward her.

"And just when did you hire this Mariele person anyway?"

Jack inched closer to Erica and took her hand in his, kissing her palm. "Mmmm . . . Mariele . . . Mariele" he whispered. Slowly, he moved up her arm, leaving a trail of light kisses along the way. "That tall . . . beautiful . . . blonde . . . Viking."

Erica pulled her arm away. "You're making fun of me."

"No, I'm not" Jack replied, taking her arm again. "Mmmm, I'm not." Erica was clearly unmoved by his show of affection. Jack dropped her arm. "Okay, I am. I'm just trying to show you how ridiculous your sudden obsession with Mariele is. She's a colleague, that's all."

"That's all?"

"I promise. Now, can we get back to business here?"

"Fine, if that's what you want." Erica turned back to her desk and picked up the folder that was marked 'Ocean Spirit.' "We really need to get moving on this campaign if we're going to have it ready in time for our summer line."

Jack took the folder from Erica's hand and placed it back on the desk. "That's not exactly the business I was referring to."

"It isn't?"

"You know it's not."

"Do I?" Erica replied coyly.

"Yeah, I think you do" Jack said, leaning in to kiss her. With a single touch, her soft lips parted. And then, the office door swung open.

"Jack, I . . ." Kendall froze. "I'm sorry, I should have knocked."

"Yes, you should have" Jack replied, frustrated over another wasted opportunity.

"I'll leave." Kendall turned and started toward the door.

"Kendall, stop. You're here already. What is it?"

"Are you sure?" Kendall asked, looking from Jack to Erica and back again.

Jack nodded. "I'm sure." Erica returned to her desk and began typing on her computer, barely masking her own frustration. Jack glanced briefly in her direction before giving Kendall his full attention.

"It's these spreadsheets. The numbers don't make sense. I did a complete analysis of cost projections before I recommended we make the network upgrades company-wide. These figures are nothing like the ones I looked at. Changes to our offices in Pine Valley alone puts us in the hole."

"Let me look at those" Jack said, taking the printouts from Kendall. As he scanned the first few pages, Kendall drifted in Erica's direction.

"So, mother, how's it feel to be back in the Executive Suite? I bet you're loving every minute of it."

In a rare show of restraint, Erica opted not to rise to the bait. "It does feel good to be doing something useful again. It's been a long time."

Kendall surprised everyone and followed her mother's lead. "Well, it's good to have you here. Just so you know, I read the proposal you made about acquiring those textile mills in Georgia and I agree. We definitely come out ahead if we take a pass on the Japanese silk farms and concentrate on refurbishing those factories. The tax breaks alone are worth the investment."

"Thank you, Kendall" Erica replied sincerely. "It's good to know I have your support."

"Yes, well, don't get carried away. I'm sure it's just a matter of time before we butt heads over something."

"I'll keep that in mind" Erica said smiling. "In the meantime, how about you and I get together for lunch tomorrow. I have some questions about next month's launch of the Herbal skincare products."

"Sounds good." Turning her attention back to Jack, Kendall saw a satisfied look on his face. "What?" she asked plaintively.

"Nothing. I was just thinking how good it is to see the two of you working together for a change." Before either woman had a chance to slip into their now-familiar defensive mode, Jack switched gears and focused Kendall's attention on the columns on the left-hand side of the page. "Kendall, do me a favor. Take a look at last month's projections and compare them to these figures. Unless I missed my guess, something in these two areas changed."

"That's not possible. I handled this myself. No one else had access to them . . . unless you're saying–"

"I'm not saying anything just yet. And I'm certainly not accusing you of anything. Your loyalty to this company AND to this family has been proven time and time again. Just take a look at it and let me know what you think."

"Okay" Kendall replied hesitantly as she turned to leave the office.

"Mother, I'll see you tomorrow. Jack . . ."

"Oh, and Kendall. Not a word about this to anyone. Let's just keep this between the three of us. I don't want anyone, not Ryan, not Greenlee, not anyone to know we're looking into this."

"You got it" Kendall nodded and closed the door behind her. Jack was right on her heels, securing the lock in place.

"That's it. No more interruptions. You and I have some unfinished business to take care of . . ."

"Jack, I thought we settled things about this afternoon?"

"Not exactly to my satisfaction . . . you still have some apologizing to do about that unexpected bath you gave me and I know EXACTLY how you can make things up to me. . ." With one sweep of his arm, Jack cleared the surface of his desk. "Come here . . ."

Erica looked at him for a moment but didn't move.

"Come here . . ." he repeated. Still Erica didn't move. A long moment ticked by and in that time a strange look came over Erica's face, a look Jack hadn't seen before. And then she turned her back to him. Jack's heart began to race. Had he misjudged the situation? How angry was Erica? And how insecure? And then it happened.

Erica marshaled all of her energy and, in one quick movement, brushed the top of her desk clean. Turning back toward Jack, she murmured, "Come here."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four (by Mary)

Jack covered the distance to Erica's desk, smiling when she reached out and grabbed his tie to pull him closer. She backed up against the desk, bringing him with her. Jack placed his arms on either side of her and stared down at her with a mixture of desire and amusement.

"So, what exactly did you have in mind?" he asked her seductively.

"Exactly what you had in mind," Erica said coyly. "Although, since you're technically my boss, I wouldn't want anything that happens between us in this office to be, shall we say, _misconstrued_… so I don't think my going over to your desk is a good idea. Besides, my desk is bigger," she added practically, loosening his tie and dropping it to the floor.

Realizing she was serious, Jack felt the familiar rush of excitement that he always felt when they were together. He let his fingers brush her skin ever so lightly as he began to undo the buttons on her blouse. "So, I guess I can take this as an apology?" he asked teasingly.

"Really, Jack, I don't think I have anything to apologize for," she said huffily. "I may have overreacted slightly, maybe even been a little, um–"

"I think the word you're looking for is jealous," he said helpfully, bending down to kiss her neck.

"I was not!" she immediately protested. "Well, maybe a little."

"I love it when you're jealous," he told her, laughing softly, "though not always at the moment that it's happening." He drew back to look at her seriously. "I love you," he said deeply. "You know I love you and what's more, I know that you know I love you."

"That may all be true," she admitted, "But I'm not so sure that Mariele knows that you love me."

He undid the last button on her blouse and pushed it from her shoulders, running his tongue from her shoulder up her neck to her ear. "Let's not talk about Mariele anymore," he said huskily.

"You're right, let's not talk anymore . . . period," Erica said breathlessly, tugging on his hair and bringing his mouth to hers. He pushed her gently back onto the desk as his mouth devoured hers, using his tongue to part her lips and gain entrance to her mouth. She met his tongue with her own, kissing him passionately as her fingers quickly unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it loose from his pants. Their clothes were quickly discarded as their kisses grew more passionate.

The afternoon sun gave way to dusk as they became lost in one another, giving in to the familiar passion that always existed between them, until neither one remembered that the afternoon had started on a less than promising note.

———

Jack frowned as he studied his copy of the spreadsheet for what seemed like the tenth time. No matter how many times he reviewed it, it just didn't add up. Kendall was right, the upgrades to the Pine Valley offices had somehow thrown everything off, yet the projections from the previous month had seemed foolproof.

He logged on to his computer and went to Cambias' history file, scanning all happenings in the previous month. He stopped when he saw Mariele's firm's name start popping up in connection with the move of Cambias Industries' main offices to Pine Valley a month or so before Bianca asked him to take over the reigns as CEO. His phone rang and he picked it up absently. Kendall's voice came through with a sense of urgency. "Jack, have you looked at those figures again?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied. "How about you?"

"I've been studying it all afternoon, and Jack, I swear these are not the figures I based my recommendations on," Kendall said. "I don't understand it. What is going on?"

"I'm not sure," he said. "I'm going to have to investigate this more fully. And Kendall, remember what I said, not a word to anyone."

"I know, I won't," she said. "I'm just glad you're on it."

Jack hung up the phone and looked at the clock. Realizing that if he didn't hurry he was going to be late picking up Reggie and Lily for the promised hamburgers, he grabbed his jacket and headed out the door. The spreadsheet and its unanswered questions would have to wait until morning but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong.

———

Erica took a deep breath and rang Bianca's doorbell. It was the first time she had been to the bungalow. She had known where it was, of course, and had wanted to see it but an invitation hadn't been forthcoming. She knew she was pushing things but it was obvious that Bianca was not going to respond to her overtures so she gathered her courage and decided to take matters into her own hands. The door swung open and Bianca stood there with Miranda in her arms. She looked flustered and then surprised when she saw her mother.

"Mom, hi, what are you doing here?" she asked, staring at Erica and the takeout bag that she was carrying.

"I know I should have called," Erica said, "but I was afraid you'd say you were busy. I was hoping that you haven't had dinner yet." She held up the bag from The Serving Spoon.

Bianca looked undecided for a moment and then said, "No, I haven't eaten. I'm having a tough time getting Miranda settled for the night. She's been fussy all day for some reason."

Erica followed Bianca into the bungalow. It was the perfect place for her daughter, she decided, with its cozy rooms, flowered wallpaper and country décor. It was just the kind of house that Bianca had wanted since she was a little girl. Erica smiled when she saw the window seat in the living room, remembering how Bianca had liked to sit on the one in her room and read when she was young.

"I'm just going to try to get her settled," Bianca said, disappearing down the hall toward the bedrooms.

Erica walked over to a collection of framed photographs on a table near the window seat. She smiled at the pictures of Bianca with Jack, with Kendall and with Miranda. Her gaze lingered on a collection of pictures of her and Bianca together, ranging from when Bianca was a little girl to as recently as the trial. She felt her spirits rise slightly. If Bianca cared enough to display these pictures, she thought, there was still hope for their relationship.

Bianca came back in and sank down in a chair. Erica opened The Serving Spoon bag and arranged the food on the coffee table. "You look exhausted, honey," she said. "I'll find what we need in the kitchen."

She came back in with plates and utensils and was pleased to see Bianca start eating right away.

"This is delicious, Mom, thanks," Bianca said with a weary smile. "So, how are things going at Cambias?"

"Surprisingly well," Erica admitted. "I'm really enjoying it. Jack was absolutely right about me needing to be involved in something again."

"How are things going with you and Uncle Jack?" Bianca asked.

Erica blushed, thinking back to earlier that afternoon. "Things are wonderful," she said, "Better than I ever thought they could be after everything that's happened."

"I keep expecting to hear that the engagement's back on," Bianca said.

_So do I_, Erica thought to herself but smiled and said to Bianca, "We're taking things slowly. So, how is Miranda? I didn't really get a chance to see her."

"She is usually the happiest baby in the world," Bianca said, "But lately she's been really cranky, crying a lot, waking up at night again…"

"Maybe she's getting a tooth," Erica suggested. "She's around the right age."

"Do you think so? I hadn't really thought about that," Bianca replied.

"Well, take a look tomorrow when she wakes up. You might be surprised. You loved those teething rings when you were her age. It was the only thing that would make you happy. Now, I'm going to let you get some sleep" Erica said, getting up to leave. She walked to the door with Bianca following. "Good night, honey."

"Mom–" Erica turned at the door as Bianca hesitated. "I'm really glad you stopped by," she said finally.

Erica smiled and reached out to touch Bianca's cheek. "Me too," she said softly. As she walked to her car, her step was lighter than it had been in a long time.

———

Jack pushed the spreadsheet aside and put his face in his hands. There was no point in analyzing it any further. He knew all the numbers by heart and they didn't add up. He was one hundred percent positive that Kendall, Ryan and Greenlee were innocent of whatever had transpired but there was no doubt that someone had gained access to these figures and that person could only have gone through one of them. He kept coming back to Mariele's firm. The discrepancy in the numbers was definitely related to the building upgrades and Mariele's company had been very aggressive in their pursuit of the contract.

He picked up the phone and quickly put it down when Erica walked into the office. She was practically beaming and he pushed his thoughts aside to savor the change in her since they had started at Cambias. The dark days following her return from Vegas were slowly becoming a dim memory and with each day that passed she seemed more like her old self.

"Honestly, Jack, what time did you get up?" she asked. "The crack of dawn? How long have you been here?"

"Since about 6:00," he answered. "You were sleeping so soundly I didn't want to wake you. Besides, I know how you feel about getting here before 9:00," he added, glancing at the clock with amusement.

She ignored him, crossing the room and perching on the edge of his desk. "I was dying to talk to you when I got home last night but you were already asleep," she pouted.

"Well, I guess it was my turn," he said. "By the time we got home from McKay's, I was beat. So how'd it go with Bianca?"

"Really well," she said excitedly. "At first I wasn't sure, but once we started talking, it got easier and then this morning she called me to say that the advice I gave her about Miranda worked."

"See, what did I tell you? All it's going to take is time and the two of you will be closer than ever," Jack said to her with a smile. He reached up and pulled her onto his lap. "Since I never did get to kiss you good night or good morning, I think now might be the appropriate time to catch up on that." His lips claimed hers in a tender kiss that soon deepened. Neither heard the door open until Greenlee's voice suddenly descended upon them.

"Please, it's bad enough that I have to even imagine things like this, do I have to actually witness it?" she said snidely.

Jack sighed and slowly raised his head. "Do we have an appointment?" he asked his daughter.

"No, but Erica and I do," Greenlee answered. "I've been summoned yet again by her royal highness."

"Yes, I want to go over the 'Ocean Spirit' ad campaign," Erica said, standing up reluctantly.

"I have a meeting in accounting anyway," Jack said. "I just need to check on a few things." He turned to his computer and Erica took the folder from Greenlee and walked over to her desk.

After a few minutes, Jack headed to the door. He kissed Greenlee on the cheek and bent down to give Erica a lingering kiss as she sat at her desk. "Enjoy your lunch with Kendall," he told her. "And, I expect the office to still be intact when I return," he warned them half seriously. As he headed toward Accounting, he prayed for answers but he had a feeling that the real answers were somewhere else.

———

Erica put the file down and looked at Greenlee. "Did you put any thought into this at all?" she asked.

"Of course I did," Greenlee replied indignantly. "Be honest, Erica, you're going to shoot down any ideas I have."

"No, I'm not, but I am going to shoot down any bad ideas you have," Erica said. "Think about it, Greenlee. 'Ocean Spirit.' What does that say to you? I'll tell you what it says to me. Cool breezes, soft pastels, the sun shimmering softly on the water. These colors are too bright, the print is too bold, the background is too glossy….Need I go on?"

Greenlee took the file back from Erica. "I guess I can give it some more thought," she said somewhat uncertainly.

"Good–and please– 'Blink Pink,' 'Drop Dead Red' –can we be a little more creative with the colors?" Erica asked. "I know you can do better than this, Greenlee. Come back with something worthy of Fusion–and of you."

Greenlee was uncharacteristically silent. "Was there something else?" Erica finally asked.

"No–I mean yes," Greenlee said. "I think you know that you're the last person I would have picked for my father."

"You've made no secret of that," Erica acknowledged.

"And I know that I'm the last person you would have picked to be Jack's daughter," Greenlee continued. She paused but Erica said nothing. "Unfortunately, I've come to the conclusion that he isn't happy without you," Greenlee said, "so I'm giving in to the inevitable. My father loves you. I don't know why but he does. There's just one thing–"

"And what is that?" Erica inquired.

"Don't hurt him again," Greenlee said. "Treat him the way he deserves to be treated. I don't ever want to see him the way he was when you were gone. If that happens again, I'll never accept you in his life." She closed the door firmly on her way out.

Erica thought about Greenlee's words after she left. She was determined to never hurt Jack again. She knew she had put him through hell while she was gone and he had been nothing but supportive and protective of her since she came back. I should leave the engagement thing alone, she thought, and just let Jack take the lead. I owe him that much after everything that's happened. Realizing that Kendall would be waiting for her, she quickly grabbed her purse and left to meet her daughter.

———

Erica stretched and glanced at the clock. She had been working for hours since she came back from lunch with Kendall and needed a break. She looked longingly over at Jack's desk. He hadn't been back since he left for his meeting and she missed him. She walked over to his desk, smiling at the picture of the two of them amidst the other photographs on the desk. As she turned to walk away, her gaze fell on Jack's computer that was still on from earlier that afternoon. The email from mgirtz jumped out at her.

She stared at the name for a minute and started to walk away. She hesitated and turned back. _It wouldn't be actually going into his email_, she reasoned. _I'm not trying to find out his password or anything. It's already open._ She paused. _You're being ridiculous_, she told herself. _It's just business._ She knew she could trust Jack but she was sure she hadn't been mistaken about Mariele's intentions. _It's for Jack's own good_, she thought. _That woman is a barracuda_. She gritted her teeth and clicked on the email before she could change her mind.

_Jackson,_

_I am so sorry we were so rudely interrupted. I am eager for us to talk again. Perhaps tonight at the Valley Inn? Please say you can make it. _

_Until then, _

_Mariele_

Erica closed the email and walked away from the desk. She knew that Jack had to deal with Mariele regarding the building upgrades but surely he wouldn't have dinner with her and certainly not now that he knew how she felt about the whole thing.

Her train of thought was interrupted by a knock at the door. An attractive dark-haired man she didn't recognize was standing there looking at her appreciatively.

"Excuse me," he said, "I was looking for Mr. Montgomery."

"I'm sorry, he isn't here," Erica answered. "Can I give him a message?"

"He sent me an email that he wanted to see me," the dark-haired man said, walking into the room. "I'm John Andrews, the building contractor for the upgrades." He held out his hand.

Erica took it, smiling slightly. "I'm–"

"Erica Kane, of course," he said. "You're even more beautiful than your pictures."

Erica's smile brightened. "Well, thank you," she said. He smiled back. Erica absently noticed how attractive he was now that he was closer. His dark hair and eyes were accompanied by a charming smile and the white shirt he wore complimented his dark complexion. "I'll be happy to tell him you were here, Mr. Andrews," Erica said.

"Please, call me John," he said. "I'm assuming he wanted to talk to me about the upgrades. Mariele tells me you're in dire need of your own office."

Erica's interest suddenly heightened at the mention of Mariele's name. "So you must know Mariele pretty well," she commented.

"We've worked together before," John said. "Mariele's very talented–and very focused. When she wants something, she doesn't stop until she gets it."

_I'll bet_ Erica thought to herself. _Well, not this time._

"From what I can recall, Mariele said she had the perfect space in mind for your office," John continued, "Down on the second floor, I believe."

"The second floor?" Erica repeated in disbelief. "About as far away from Jack as she can get me," she muttered as she walked over to her desk.

"Excuse me?" John sounded confused.

"Oh, nothing. Just that having my own office seems so far away," Erica said quickly.

"Yeah, I'm sure you're pretty cramped in here," said John.

"We've been managing," Erica said with a smile.

"Well, you won't have to manage much longer," John told her. "Mariele told me to put a rush on your office. It's top priority."

The phone on Erica's desk rang and she excused herself and picked it up. She sighed in relief when Jack's voice came through. "I was wondering what happened to you," she said. "I was getting worried."

"Sorry, sweetheart," Jack said. "I got caught up with something and I'm not going to make it back. Don't wait up for me. I'm probably going to be late." He sounded distracted.

Erica sighed in disappointment. She turned slightly away from John and lowered her voice. "Jack, we were supposed to spend tonight together."

"I know, sweetheart, and believe me, I'm sorry," Jack replied. "I just have to take care of this."

Erica tried and failed to suppress the suspicion that was growing in her. "Where are you?" she asked casually. "It sounds busy."

"The Valley Inn," he answered and she felt her heart sink. "Tell the kids I'm sorry and I'll do something with them tomorrow. I've got to go." The phone went dead.

Erica slowly hung up the phone and stared at it for a moment. "Erica? Is something wrong?" John's voice startled her back to the present.

"No, not at all," she finally said. She looked up and gave him her most dazzling smile. "I was just thinking that I would love to discuss the plans for my office in detail. You wouldn't happen to be free for dinner, would you?"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five (Misha)

"As a matter of fact, I am."

"Wonderful. I know this lovely little Italian restaurant in Center City called Pigale's. Perhaps you've heard of it?"

"Afraid not. I only relocated to the East coast a couple of months ago and since then I've been pretty busy with work. I'm up to my neck in projects. But hey, if you say it's good, I'm game. One car or two?"

"If you don't mind, I'd just as soon take one. It's been a long day and I'd rather not fight the traffic."

"No problem."

"I'll just grab my purse . . ."

Conversation with John came easily and before Erica knew it, they were shutting the place down. As they made their way back to the car, he regaled her with tales from his college days. Erica took care to stay interested though the day was beginning to catch up with her and she let out a small yawn.

"I'm boring you, aren't I?"

"No, of course not. I'm just not used to staying up this late."

"You get me talking about my time at Stanford, and I don't come up for air. My friends tell me it's 'cause I come from a big family and always had to fight to get a word in edge-wise. I promise. I'll shut up the whole ride home."

True to his word, John was quiet during their drive back to Pine Valley. Erica gazed out the window but the only image she saw was the last few words from Jack's email _. . . until then, Mariele._ Erica had been convinced they were simply the words of a woman who had managed to delude herself into thinking there was more to her relationship with Jack than business. But after learning that he would be spending the evening with her at the Inn, all of Erica's insecurities and self-doubts came bubbling to the surface. _Maybe I'm the one that's delusional . . ._ Erica thought.

"We should be back at the office in a minute."

"I'm sorry. What?"

"I really did put you to sleep with my stories didn't I?"

"I was just thinking about a business matter" Erica lied.

"I had a great time tonight. Maybe we can do it again?" John asked as he pulled into the Cambias parking lot and turned off the engine. Erica smiled graciously but didn't answer. She made a move to open the car door but before she could, he was out and coming around to her side.

"Goodnight, John. I had a lovely evening." Erica was about to walk away when she noticed a light in Jack's office and a familiar silhouette poised by the window. On impulse, Erica leaned in and gave John a kiss. There could be no confusion on the recipient's part that the light peck was a simple thank you for dinner but that subtlety was indiscernible from a distance.

"Let me walk you to your car."

"Actually, I was heading up to my office. In the rush to leave for dinner, I left a file on my desk that I absolutely must have for a breakfast meeting tomorrow. If you wouldn't mind . . ."

"Not at all."

———

As they stepped off the elevator, Erica's laughter filtered through to their offices. Clenching his jaw, Jack stared back at the computer but was unable to process a word on the screen. _Dammit, Erica, I thought we were past this._ When they entered the room, Jack tried to look up nonchalantly but his furrowed eyebrows gave him away. He was angry and Erica was delighted.

"Jack, what on Earth are you doing here? It's so late; I didn't expect to find you here."

"I was about to ask you the same question. I'm sorry. I don't think we've met; Jackson Montgomery" Jack said, extending his hand to Erica's date.

"John Andrews. I stopped by earlier to introduce myself but lucky for me, the only person here was Erica."

Jack forced a smile and nodded politely. "Andrews? Why is that name familiar?"

"I'm the new building contractor for Thorquist."

"Of course. Mariele Girtz mentioned that you were replacing Zingani. We didn't have a meeting that I forgot about did we?"

"No, I was just inspecting the site and thought maybe I'd catch you in. I should have called" John replied, turning his attention back to Erica "but then I wouldn't have had the pleasure of dining with you this evening. Thanks for taking pity on me. Pigale's was everything you said it would be. Look, it's late and you've probably got a few things to go over before tomorrow so I'll be leaving. Mr. Montgomery–"

"Andrews–" The two men shook hands, despite Jack's overwhelming desire to plant his fist elsewhere on John's person.

As soon as John left the room, Erica busied herself around her desk making a great show of placing folders and spreadsheets into her briefcase while Jack perched at the edge of his desk and watched.

"Forget about it, Erica."

"Excuse me?"

"You can give it a rest. I'm not buying it."

"Buying what? Jack, you're talking in riddles and frankly I'm too tired to figure out what it is you're trying to say."

"Uh, huh. So, you never answered my question. What are you doing here?"

"As you can see, I'm putting folders into my briefcase."

"Why?"

"Well, if you must know, I have a meeting in the morning with Ryan."

"That's funny. I hung up with Ryan not more than five minutes ago and he didn't mention a thing about a meeting."

"Are you calling me a liar?"

"You? Never. So . . . what's this meeting with Ryan about?"

"The new Men's Skin Care line. I've been trying to get a decision out of him about package design but haven't been too successful. He's obviously been distracted about something though for the life of me, I can't figure out what." Erica paused and turned to face Jack. "Do you believe me now or would you like to check my calendar?"

"I don't know. Where do you keep it?"

"You're kidding right?" Erica felt Jack's eyes bore into her though he remained silent. "You really want to check to see if I have a meeting with Ryan?" Jack remained still. Erica reached into her purse and flung her palm pilot at him. "Here, have a good look. In fact, take a look at all my meetings. Oh, and while you're at it, you might want to check my phone list to see if there are any names you don't recognize. God knows I wouldn't want to be accused of keeping any secrets from you."

Jack looked at the electronic device for a moment and then placed it down beside him. "Nice move. I'm impressed."

Erica threw her arms in the air. "Okay, now you've completely lost me."

"I'm just wondering how far you plan on going with this little game you're playing."

"This game I'm playing? Excuse me, but if anyone's playing a game around here it certainly is not me."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, really. If you want to know who's really playing a game I suggest you take a good, long look in the mirror. That is, if you can face yourself."

"Ahh, now we're getting somewhere."

"Actually, where we're getting is nowhere. So, if you don't mind, I think I'll head home for whatever's left of the evening. Oh, and in case you were wondering–and I'm sure that you were since you obviously plan on keeping track of my every movement, that would be to my place. Alone."

Jackson leaped off the desk and quickly blocked Erica's exit. "You're not going anywhere, not, at least, until we get this thing settled."

"Oh, it's settled. Believe me, it's settled. You, Jackson Montgomery, are free to do whatever you please with whomever you please."

Jack let out a big sigh. "Finally, you admit it."

Erica stopped dead in her tracks. "I didn't admit to anything!"

"Oh, you may not have said Mariele's name but you all but confessed . . ."

"Confessed to what? Just what are you accusing me of? And what does any of this have to do with Mariele?"

"Come on, Erica. I know what you did."

"Please, tell me. Tell me just what it is that you think I've done."

"Fine. If that's the way you want to play it. Let's see. For starters, you broke into my computer and read my email."

"I most certainly did not" Erica replied indignantly.

"Oh, really? Then just how do you explain the fact that the email Mariele sent me was marked "read" and that she got a receipt to that effect long after I had left for the Valley Inn, hmmmm?"

"And just what exactly were you doing at the Valley Inn? On second thought, don't tell me. It's clear that what you do and with whom is no longer any of my business."

"Oh no you don't. You're not changing the subject that easy."

"You're right, I'm not. In fact, I'm not having this entire conversation with you. Goodnight, Jack."

"Erica, don't do this. Don't walk away from me."

"Isn't it a little late for you to be worried about me leaving? You certainly didn't give it a moment's thought when you decided to spend the evening with Mariele instead of me."

"So, you did read my email."

"I never said I didn't." Jack looked back at Erica thunderstruck. "What I said is that I didn't break into your email. You happened to have it up on your screen when I got there" Erica replied with a self-satisfied look on her face.

"That's a technicality and you know it."

"What I know is that you cancelled out on me to spend time with that . . . that . . . oohhh, I could just–"

"Which explains your date with the muscle head."

"I assume by that you mean John?"

"Yeah, John. I can understand you going out with him to get even with me."

"What makes you think my date with John had anything to do with you?"

"Please. You've gone out with a lot of men in your life but a building contractor?"

"What's wrong with a contractor?"

"Well, considering you dropped the last guy who tried to build something for you–for me, by the way–I'd say you've had your fill of the brute types."

"Chris did a beautiful job on my penthouse."

"Aren't you forgetting that nasty little problem with the water pressure; it takes me a good twenty minutes just rinsing the soap off in your shower."

"Yes, but we have so much fun in the meantime."

"Good point! But we're getting off the subject."

"Which is?" Erica asked. 

"Which is trust. I need to know that I can trust you—"

"And just how am I supposed to do that when you go behind my back and spend time with that, that, ice goddess."

"First of all, I did not go behind your back. I told you that I was going to the Valley Inn AND that I'd be home late. The only thing I didn't tell you is that I'd be there with Mariele."

"Which is the only part that you knew I'd care about."

"And the reason I didn't tell you about it is because I knew you'd react like this."

"Well, forgive me for being so predictable. And for feeling betrayed—again."

"Erica, I did not betray you. I may have used poor judgment not telling you who I was meeting but I'd never betray you and you know that."

"How can I know that?"

"Because you know me and because you know that I would never do anything to hurt you. Spending time with Mariele was business—nothing more."

"And why should I believe you—because you say so?"

"That's exactly why. I love you Erica. For the hundredth time, I love you and only you—got it?"

"Then explain to me why you kept your dinner with her a secret—and don't tell me it's because you didn't want to upset me."

Jack turned and closed the door to their offices. "Fine, I'll tell you."

"Don't you think that's a bit unnecessary. It's close to midnight already. I doubt there's anyone still here but us."

"Humor me." Jack cradled his face in his hands, trying to rub away some of the fatigue. "Look, you know the spreadsheets Kendall brought to me yesterday? Well, this morning I went over them again with a fine-tooth comb. Kendall was right when she said there was an irregularity in the final cost figures but for the life of me, I couldn't put my finger on how we generated that kind of discrepancy. Anyway, I had her do some research for me on our earlier dealings with Thorquist and I did some digging as well. When I put her notes together with mine, the name Brett Protevi popped up."

"Brett?"

"You know him?"

"No, I—"

"What?"

"John spent half the evening telling me about his days at Stanford. Frankly I just drifted in and out but I'm almost sure he said his roommate's name was Brett."

"You're kidding? Did he mention a last name?"

"Not that I remember but my mind was on other things—like your date with Mariele."

"Forget Mariele. She's not important, at least not for any reason that you need to be concerned about. Tell me everything that happened at dinner."

"Everything?" Erica replied coyly.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Don't you think it's time that you gave up this whole act of yours to make me jealous. I know you spent time with Andrews to get back at me because of Mariele."

"Her again?"

Jack looked at Erica impatiently.

"Fine, I'll drop it. Besides, he wasn't much of a kisser anyway." Before Jack had a chance to react, Erica continued, smiling "I saw you staring out the window. Trust me, it looked more impressive than it was."

Jack returned her smile and his eyes twinkled for the first time since she arrived back at the offices that evening. He moved toward her, making his intentions clear but Erica pushed him away. "I'd love to, really, but it's late and I'm exhausted. How about you drive me home—to the loft—and on the way, I'll tell you everything I remember about Brett."

"You've got yourself a deal. I'm beat, and besides, with all the hours we've both been putting in here, the kids probably forget what we look like." Jack and Erica quickly collected their things, turned out the light and locked the door behind them.

The man in the parking lot checked his watch: 12:21 AM. The cleaning crew wouldn't arrive for another 40 minutes, giving him just enough time to install the new program. He turned on his engine and swiftly moved his car to the other side of the building.

———

When Jack and Erica returned home, both Reggie and Lily were sound asleep. The only thing waiting for them was a note from Reggie attached to the framed photo of Lily and him from Jack's birthday. It read, simply, "hope you had a good night too" and was signed by both teens, followed by the words "FYI: Lily's the blonde one" scrawled in Reggie's handwriting.

"I think the kids are getting fed up with our long hours" Jack said to Erica, handing her the note. "Not very subtle."

"We did promise them that at least one of us would be home for dinner each night . . ."

"Yeah, I know and we're doing a lousy job of it. We really need to figure this whole thing out before they give up on us completely. Look, you're exhausted. Why don't you turn in?"

"Don't tell me you plan on doing more work tonight? Jack, it's close to 1 A.M. If you don't get some sleep, you're not going to be worth anything to anybody including the kids."

"I know, I know. I just want to jot down some notes on this Brett Protevi character before I lose my train of thought. Something's definitely up between him, John, Mariele and Thorquist."

"Yes, well all of that can wait until the morning. I'm taking you to bed."

The mere mention of going to bed with Erica brought on a second wind. "Whatever you say . . ."

In the time it took Erica to change out of her business suit and into her nightclothes, Jack had fallen into a deep slumber. Without making so much as a sound she bent over his outstretched body and kissed him gently. A moment later, Erica shut off the bedside lamp, slipped quietly under the covers and, with Jack's breathing serving as a soft lullaby, was lulled to sleep.

It seemed like only moments later when the couple awoke to the shrill sounds of the telephone ringing. Jack's eyes squinted open as the sunlight streaked in through the bay window. Aware that morning was not Erica's friend, he leaned over and grabbed the receiver. It was Ryan. "Jack, I'm sorry. Did I wake you?"

"You could say that. What time is it anyway?" Jack asked, trying to focus on the clock that was perched nearby.

"It's 9:45. Erica was supposed to meet me over an hour ago. She's never late and I'm beginning to get worried."

"She's right here, Ryan. We had a late night at the office yesterday and I guess neither of us remembered to set the alarm clock."

"Sorry; didn't mean to interrupt. Listen, I can talk to her when she gets in. Just tell her I have some new ideas for the Splash. She'll know what I'm talking about."

"Will do. And, do me a favor. Let Dot know that I'll be in in about an hour. My schedule's clear until this afternoon so it shouldn't be a problem." Jack noticed Erica gesturing wildly but couldn't quite figure out what she was trying to say. "Ryan, hold on a minute" he said and rested the phone on his thigh. "What is it?"

Erica jerked her head away. "You were on my hair."

"Oh, sorry, sweetheart." He kissed her lightly on her nose, got back on the phone and made his goodbyes. After hanging up, Jack turned his attention back to Erica. "Ryan said he has some new idea for the Splash."

"Thrilling."

"You really are having a tough time with him, aren't you?"

"I'm sure that with a little extra guidance, he'll do fine in business. It's just that right now, I don't have too much free time to hold his hand."

"That's good because the only hand I want you holding is mine. Speaking of which, how about since we're already late we . . ."

Before he was able to complete his sentence, Erica grabbed hold of Jack's hair and pulled him toward her. He gazed down at her and savored the sparkle of Erica's espresso-colored eyes. _My god, she's stunning_ he thought and covered her mouth with his own. His tongue delighted her as Jack kissed her fully and completely. His appetite for her grew more ravenous as he feasted his tongue first on one lobe and then the other until Erica moaned with pleasure. Not yet sated, he left behind a trail of gentle flickers on her ivory shoulders. By the time he reached the hollow of her throat, her skin glistened with satisfaction. Jack continued his journey, his lips barely a whisper tracing the backs of her knees as slowly, his tongue sailed upward, indulging her every desire. And then, finally his body became lost in her shadow. Jack gorged himself, dining hungrily, greedily, voraciously until both he and Erica burst with pleasure. As they lay there, their bodies intertwined, Jack and Erica felt blissfully alive, joyfully united and resolute that their all-consuming love would forever, gleefully, nourish their souls.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six ( by Mary) 

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Erica asked uneasily as they rode the elevator up to their office.

"No, not really," Jack answered, "and believe me, it's not what I want but I think it might be the only way to get to the bottom of this whole thing."

"Alright," Erica sighed. "For the record, the only reason I'm doing this is for Bianca and Miranda."

"I know that," Jack said softly. "Just remember—I love you."

Erica nodded. "Well, here goes–" She walked off the elevator away from Jack, then turned back and gave him her angriest look. "This is so typical, Jackson Montgomery!" she shouted. "It's perfectly fine for you to have lunch–and dinner–with someone else but I'm supposed to just sit home and wait for you."

"Wait for me? You couldn't even wait five minutes before you were kissing someone else in the parking lot," Jack retorted. He peripherally noticed his secretary stop typing in mid-sentence as their voices rose.

"Well, maybe it's nice to have someone actually be interested in what I have to say for a change," Erica fired back "someone who actually wants to spend time with me."

By now all activity had come to a halt as Jack and Erica's voices filtered through the outer offices. Faxing and photocopying ceased, emails went unread and phones were abruptly returned to their cradles. Ryan walked around the corner and approached them with a concerned look on his face.

"Hey, look you two, maybe you should–" he began.

"Shut up Ryan!" they turned on him in unison.

"I just thought–" he tried again.

"Actually, Ryan, you can help me move my things," Erica said. "I'm not spending another minute in this office with you," she said to Jack.

"Fine," Jack replied angrily. "Is it any wonder I'd rather spend time with someone else? I've had just about enough of this myself." He opened the door to their office and Erica stormed past him with Ryan at her heels.

Knowing they still had an audience, Erica started throwing the contents of her desk into a box. "Well, consider yourself free to do whatever you want with whomever you want," she said furiously. "After all, it's not like we're married–or even engaged. In fact, we're not anything, are we?"

Something in her voice made Jack narrow his eyes. For a minute, he could have sworn she wasn't acting and then it was gone. She flung the box at Ryan, who narrowly escaped dropping it, and turned back to Jack. "I'll have my things out of the loft by tonight," she informed him icily. "And as soon as things are straightened out here, I'll move back to Enchantment."

"Great—can't happen soon enough for me," Jack said as he held the door for her. Erica walked past him without a glance and disappeared down the hall with Ryan following.

Jack shut the door and leaned against it heavily. He knew that all eyes and ears had been on them and he was pretty sure that they had pulled it off. In fact, he thought Erica had been a little too convincing.

He walked over to his desk and sat down. He hated the idea of Erica moving out of the loft and all that entailed but he knew he had no chance of gaining Mariele's confidence while he and Erica were together. Bianca had trusted him with the future of Cambias Industries and he couldn't let her down. He knew that she was using the profits from the company to fund her various women and children's programs and the solace she had found in that was unquestionable. He was also worried about what would happen to Enchantment and Fusion if Cambias went under.

The thought of not being with Erica troubled him. They had been virtually inseparable since she had returned from Vegas. He realized that she had regained a great deal of her strength and confidence but he still had the overwhelming desire to make her feel safe and secure. That was going to be next to impossible considering the ruse they were undertaking.

Frowning, Jack recalled her earlier words about their relationship. He opened the drawer of his desk and took out the black velvet ring box. Gazing at it reflectively, his thoughts drifted to the night that Erica had given him back the engagement ring. Since her return, he had purposely not brought up their engagement. He was determined to give her plenty of space and not force her to commit to anything until she was ready. Had he somehow misread the situation?

Sighing in frustration, he placed the box back in the drawer and closed it tight. He picked up the phone to call Mariele, thinking that the sooner he could end this charade, the sooner he and Erica could get back on track.

———

Erica emptied the contents of the box and began arranging them on her desk in the small, dimly lit office. The reality of the situation was inescapable now that the plan had been set in motion. She missed Jack already and the thought of working in this office every day and going home alone to the penthouse each night was pure torture.

Ryan cleared his throat and Erica looked up impatiently. "Oh, Ryan, thank you for helping me but I really want to be alone right now," she said dismissively.

"Uh, OK," Ryan said. "I'm sure things will work out with you and Jack. They always do." Erica said nothing. "I guess I can get back to you on the Splash," Ryan continued.

"Yes, it's going to take me a while to get settled in here," Erica replied. "Was there something else, Ryan?" she asked as he hovered in the doorway.

"Uh, no, not really," said Ryan. He started to leave and then turned back. "Erica, when you were starting out in business, did you ever feel that you had messed up somewhere but just couldn't put your finger on it?"

"Ryan, everyone makes mistakes when they're first starting out," Erica said. "The important thing is to learn from them and not keep repeating them."

"Yeah, you're right," Ryan said. "I've got some great ideas when you have time to listen."

"I'll call you," Erica affirmed as he nodded and headed out the door. She barely had time to straighten out the desk and make sure the phone and computer were working when the door flew open and Kendall came in.

"What on earth is going on?" she demanded. "The whole building is talking. Half the staff is saying that Jack is seeing some Nordic princess and the other half is saying that you're dating a building contractor. I don't know which is more ridiculous–well, you and the building contractor, I guess, but–"

"Kendall," Erica interrupted. "Is there a point to this?"

"Yes, Mother, there is. What is going on?" Kendall repeated.

"Jack and I are history," Erica said, hating the way it sounded even when she knew it wasn't true.

"Yes, I know, over and over again," Kendall said. "But you can't expect me to believe that you and Jack have broken up–not after everything you've been through together."

"Well, we have and I don't want to talk about it," Erica replied. She dreaded facing Bianca's disappointment and Greenlee's anger, not to mention the thought of Reggie and Lily, but she could see that Kendall's suspicious nature was going to be a problem.

"Look, every time I see the two of you, you're all over each other," Kendall said. "Not to mention how wonderful Jack has been ever since you got back. Even you wouldn't be stupid enough to just throw him aside for some building contractor. No, something else is definitely going on."

Erica walked over to the door, holding it open. "Kendall, I'm really busy here and I need to get this office operational, so if you don't mind…"

Kendall moved toward the door. "Alright, I'll drop it for now but don't think for a minute that I'm buying this." She vanished down the hall with one last dubious look in her mother's direction. Erica's phone rang as she went back to her desk and she answered it with more than a tinge of annoyance in her voice.

"Hey, you," Jack's voice made her sigh in relief. "How's it going down there?"

"You mean besides Ryan wanting all of my time and Kendall not believing me?" Erica answered. "I guess it's OK. I miss you," she added wistfully.

"I know, I miss you too," Jack said huskily. "I don't know how I'm going to make it through the days–not to mention the nights–without you."

"How long do we have to go without seeing each other?" Erica asked, thinking that any answer would be too long.

"Don't worry, I have a plan," Jack said, chuckling softly.

Erica immediately felt her spirits lift. "What kind of plan?"

"I'll tell you in a minute," he replied. "Look, I'll try to smooth things over with Reggie and Lily as best I can. I'm just going to tell them that we need a little space. Hopefully, they won't hear anything about what happened here today. It's probably a good idea for you to pick up your things when they're not home."

"I'll make sure they're not there," Erica said. "I don't want them upset."

"I'll take care of it," said Jack. "I just got the background checks on your boyfriend," he continued. "He was definitely roommates at Stanford with this Protevi guy. And guess what–Mariele was a huge proponent of Andrews taking over from Zingani."

"I just don't believe that John is involved in any of this," Erica stated. "He seems very genuine to me."

"Erica, you spent a couple of hours with him," said Jack. "You only saw what he wanted you to see. Remember what I said–public places with this guy. No more car rides with someone you don't know."

"I know–I'll be careful," Erica replied.

"Please, sweetheart," There was no mistaking the urgency in Jack's voice. "I don't want to have to worry about you more than I already do."

"I promise," she said. "Now when am I going to see you?"

"I think it's best if we don't see each other for a few days," Jack said. "I don't think we should call each other either."

"Well, what then?" she pouted.

"Check your email in a few days," he said and she could sense the smile in his voice. "I have to go sweetheart. This will all be over soon. I love you."

"I love you too," she hung up the phone slowly, wondering how she would get through the next few days without him. Loving him this much would have terrified her at one time but now she reveled in it. She was finally ready to spend the rest of her life with him and she was determined that nothing would stop them this time.

———

Erica logged on to her computer with bated breath. The past three days had seemed endless. Surely there would be a message from Jack today, she thought. She had caught a glimpse or two of him in the building but their offices were far enough apart that they didn't have to cross each other's paths. Jack had rescheduled all of his meetings so that they were never in the same place at the same time and any issues that they both needed to address went through their secretaries.

Erica had thrown herself into her work, ignoring messages from Opal and Myrtle and anyone else that she knew would want to discuss Jack. The days went by quickly but the nights alone at the penthouse were agony. Why had she never noticed how cold and empty it was? She missed the warmth of the loft and Reggie and Lily's youthful exuberance, but most of all she missed Jack.

Her pulse quickened when she saw the email from him. Before she could read it, a sudden movement in the doorway caught her attention and she looked up to see Mariele Girtz standing there. Erica quickly closed the message and managed a semblance of a polite smile. "May I help you?" she asked coolly.

Mariele sauntered in, looking around in amusement. "Well, this is certainly a step down from your previous office," she commented.

"Is there something I can help you with?" Erica asked again.

"I was just on my way back from Jack's office," Mariele said, "and thought I would stop in to tell you that your space on the second floor will be ready next week. I had John put a rush on it."

"How thoughtful of you," Erica said with only the slightest hint of sarcasm.

"Yes, it was," Mariele agreed. "I realize you don't have a very high opinion of me," she continued, "but you were totally off base about Jack and me."

"Really?"

"Yes, really," Mariele replied. "I don't make a habit of pursuing men who are in a relationship, however attractive I may find them. I respect those boundaries." She paused but Erica said nothing.

"However, things have changed," Mariele said. "Jack tells me that the two of you are no longer involved."

"Yes, that's right," Erica said casually while fighting the urge to pull Mariele's hair out by its platinum roots.

"I can understand why Jack felt he had to let you down gently," Mariele went on while Erica listened incredulously. "After all, it's no secret that you've had a pretty rough time of it recently and Jack obviously felt some sense of –responsibility­–toward you when you came back. Thankfully, he seems to have realized that his feelings for you are a thing of the past."

"And that, of course, is where you come in," Erica observed wryly.

"Yes, it is," Mariele said. "I find Jack incredibly attractive and he has made it more than obvious that he finds me very attractive as well." Erica gritted her teeth at the smug tone in Mariele's voice. "In fact, we're having dinner tonight. I just wanted to make sure we were clear on all of this."

"We're very clear," Erica said, standing up to end the conversation. "I couldn't care less what Jack does or with whom."

"Wonderful," Mariele moved toward the door. "I do hope you enjoy your new office."

"I'm sure I will," Erica replied sweetly. "I hope you enjoy your date."

Mariele laughed softly. "Oh, I most certainly will," she said, leaving with a triumphant smile. Erica closed the door, leaned against it and briefly contemplated various ways to inflict harm on Mariele. Deciding that none of them were painful enough, she walked back to her desk and opened the email from Jack.

_Sweetheart, _

_To say I miss you is an understatement. I honestly can't tell you how unbearable the past few days have been. I miss the sound of you laughing with Reggie and Lily when I come home to the loft, I miss the way you look working at your desk when you don't know I'm watching you, I miss the sound of you breathing next to me at night. I miss touching you, kissing you, making love to you. Meet me at 2:00 at 88 Pine Ave. Don't tell anyone where you're going. Just say you'll be gone_–_oh, at least a few hours…_

_Love,_

_Jack_

Erica tried to stop her heart from racing but it was impossible. God, she missed him and she was thrilled that he felt the same way. She glanced at the clock, silently willing the hands to move faster. Just a few more hours, she thought, until we're together again.

———

Erica pulled into the parking lot and parked several cars away from Jack's blue BMW. She still couldn't believe the neon sign flashing in front of her–Pine Cone Motel. She understood the need to meet at a place where they wouldn't be recognized–but here? She got out of her car and walked over to Jack, drinking in the sight of him standing there in sunglasses and a gray suit, his hair shining in the sunlight. He smiled as she got closer and reached out to grab her hand.

"Hmmm, you look beautiful," he said, leading her toward the motel office.

"Jack, I'm not sure about this," she said. "I mean, the Pine Cone?"

"Sweetheart, I know but we can't go somewhere where you're going to be recognized," said Jack. "Speaking of which, keep your head down while we're in here," he said, opening the door and ushering her in.

Erica studied the squares on the floor while Jack signed the register and got the key from the clerk. "Well, Mr. and Mrs. Bastille," said the balding middle-aged man with a knowing smile. "Enjoy your–afternoon." Jack smiled slightly and pulled Erica out of the office.

"Jack, this is just too embarrassing," she said as he led her to a room at the end of the building. "Did you see that man? God only knows what he's thinking–" She hesitated in the doorway as Jack opened the door and stepped inside. "I really don't think­–" She stopped when Jack pulled her into the room, shut the door behind her and pressed her against it in one smooth movement. "God, I've missed you," he breathed into her mouth, kissing her passionately. Her lips parted as he deepened the kiss and she quickly forgot her misgivings. They devoured each other for endless minutes, lost in the taste and feel of one another. Eventually Jack dragged his mouth from hers and left a trail of heated kisses down her neck. Erica opened her eyes and, looking beyond Jack's shoulder, was horrified by what she saw.

"Jack," she moved away from him into the tiny, dingy room. "This is terrible! We can't stay here."

"I realize it's not The Ritz, sweetheart, but our choices are pretty limited," Jack said. "It's not like we could meet at the Valley Inn."

"True, but this is the kind of place that people come for only one reason," said Erica.

Jack came up behind her and pulled her back against him as he kissed her neck. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought we were here for that reason," he said huskily, his breath on her neck sending shivers up her spine. "But, if you insist, we can always go back to work–" He released her and stepped away.

Erica turned and grabbed his tie, pulling him back to her. "Ha, ha, very funny," she said. "I guess I can get past our surroundings–as long as I don't have to touch anything."

"I promise the only thing you have to touch is me," he said, taking her hands and placing them on his chest.

"Well, I think I can manage that," she said, running her hands up the strong muscles of his arms until she reached his tie and starting to loosen the knot. "I've missed you so much, Jack," she whispered, unbuttoning his shirt and slipping her hands inside against his warm skin.

"Not half as much as I've missed you," he told her, backing up toward the bed and drawing her down on top of him. Erica placed several small kisses on his chest, working her way up to his mouth. He met her lips hungrily, running his tongue along her lower lip and using it to gain entrance to her mouth. They were both breathing heavily by the time his fingers found the zipper on the back of her dress.

"This might be challenging if the only thing you're going to touch is me," Jack said with a wicked glint in his eyes, looking up at her.

"Don't worry," Erica said with a seductive smile. "I'm sure I'll think of something."

———

Erica repaired her hair and makeup in the dimly lit bathroom while Jack got dressed. The past few hours had been heaven but they had gone by much too quickly. After making glorious love, they had talked about Reggie and Lily, as well as the situation at Cambias and how to resolve it.

"If I can just get Mariele to slip up and give me one piece of useful information, I'll be able to turn this whole thing over to the authorities," Jack said from the other room. "But so far she hasn't revealed a thing about Thorquist or Zingani."

"Maybe you're losing your touch," Erica said lightly, reapplying her lipstick.

"I think we just demonstrated that that's not the case," Jack said smoothly, appearing in the doorway to the bathroom. "But if you insist on another demonstration–" He reached out to pull her closer but she managed to dart around him.

"Oh, no, you don't," she laughed. "It's taken me 15 minutes just to look halfway decent again."

"Hmmm, I didn't notice you complaining earlier," Jack said, turning on the water in the sink.

"No, I wasn't," Erica said with a smile, walking back into the bedroom. "I guess you'll have to really turn on the charm tonight," she added, seething at the thought of Jack having dinner with Mariele.

"I guess so."

"I'm warning you, Jackson Montgomery, if you so much as lay a hand on that women–"

"Sweetheart, I promise, not a finger." Jack replied from the bathroom.

"It's not your fingers I'm worried about," Erica muttered under her breath.

"Did you say something?" Jack's voice carried over the running water.

"Not a thing."

Jack came out of the bathroom as Erica picked up her purse. "OK, you leave first," he said. "I don't want you here by yourself."

Erica walked over to him and laid her head on his chest. "I don't want to leave," she said with a sigh. "When are we going to see each other again?"

"Let's say in a couple of days just to be safe," he said, kissing her lightly and leading her to the door. "I'll email you."

"I love you," she said, reaching up to kiss him.

"I love you too," he said. "I promise–this won't be for long." He kissed her gently as she walked out the door.

———

Jack watched Erica walk to her car, thinking how much he loved her and wishing that this charade was over. _Dammit,_ he thought, _why did this have to happen just when things were going so well?_ He was determined to get this over with–and quickly. At least everyone seemed to have fallen for the breakup. Now if he could just get Mariele to let down her guard…

He waited a few minutes and then headed to his car. As he rounded the corner of the building, he almost knocked over the person approaching from the opposite direction. Preparing to apologize, he looked down into Kendall's jubilant face.

"I knew it!" she said gleefully. "Since Erica won't tell me what's going on, Jackson, maybe now you will."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven (Misha)

Jack was running late. His conversation with Kendall had put him behind schedule and now he had less than forty minutes to get home, say hello to the kids and change before his dinner with Mariele. How, he wondered, had things gotten off-track so quickly?

He opened the door to the loft and was greeted by an uneasy silence. Neither Reggie nor Lily seemed to be around. He hoped that meant they were off having some well-deserved fun. He loved those kids to death and felt guilty for putting them through all this, knowing how confused they must be. _Quit beating yourself up . . ._ Jack thought to himself. _You have no choice . . .You're doing this for Bianca and Miranda . . . Everyone will understand._ Jack continued his internal dialogue, trying to reassure himself that everything would turn out okay. If only he could be sure . . .

The hot shower did wonders for his demeanor. As steam billowed into the room, his thoughts returned to his afternoon with Erica. Never in his wildest imagination would he ever have guessed that they could have a romantic rendezvous at, of all places, the Pine Cone motel!

_I guess this plan of ours does have its up side_, he laughed to himself. Stepping out of the shower, he moved to the sink and picked up his razor to shave. The hell with it, he decided, she's not going to get that close, and put it back in its resting place. Pulling whatever was handy out of his bedroom closet, he quickly got dressed. Just as he was securing the knot of his tie, he heard the door to the loft open.

"Reggie, no. You can't eat the ice cream now. You said we'd come home and watch the movie and eat the ice cream at the same time. The movie hasn't started yet."

"All right, all right, I'll wait. But try not to take too long on your schedule. I'm hungry."

"You just ate dinner."

"Yeah, but I'm a growing boy."

"A boy? I thought you were a king man. That's what you're always saying to Danielle." Lily smiled self-consciously and headed toward the hallway when Jackson emerged.

"Hey, you two. Where have you been?"

"Your message said you weren't going to be home for dinner so Lily and I went for pizza." Reggie did a quick check of Jack's appearance. "Please, tell me you have plans with Erica–"

"Reggie, I told you. Erica and I–"

"I know; you need some space. Man, didn't you have enough of that a while ago?"

"It's complicated."

"Yeah, right" Reggie replied, clearly disgusted. "So, where are you headed? And don't tell me it's with that woman."

"What woman?"

"That Mariele whatever she is."

"Her name is Mariele Girtz and she's the lead contact of a very important company we're doing business with–that's all. How do you know about her, anyway?"

"I hear things."

"What things?"

"Forget about it. Just go have your meeting."

"Reg–" Jack's cell phone would have interrupted his conversation with his son if Reggie hadn't already stormed out of the room. He looked at the incoming phone number. Caller unknown. Reluctantly, he answered. "Hello?"

"Is it three days yet?" Jack's heart immediately began to pound. Despite being alone in the room, he turned to face the kitchen, desperate for even the illusion of privacy.

"Erica? Sweetheart, is that you?"

"Don't tell me you've already forgotten what my voice sounds like?"

"Never. Where are you calling from; my cell phone didn't recognize–"

"We're supposed to be in deep cover, right? Well, on the way home from our, hmm, what should we call it? Tryst? No, that seems so, I don't know. Not us. Matinee? A little too . . . too." Erica thought for a moment. "I know. Assignation. Yes, our assignation. . . I stopped and picked up a new phone. This way I can call you whenever I want and no one will be the wiser."

"Honey, I love the idea of being able to talk to you but I'm really not sure if that's such a good idea. One wrong move and this plan of ours folds. And with it, could go Miranda's inheritance."

"You're right, you're right. But I think I'll keep it just the same. You never know; it just might come in handy one day."

"Listen, sweetheart, I'd love to keep talking to you but I've got to run. Mariele's waiting for me at the Inn."

"Go, go. The sooner you get the goods on that woman, the sooner we can put this nightmare behind us. Just remember, I love you."

Before he had a chance to respond, Jack heard a click on the other end. For a few brief moments, he simply stared at the phone and smiled. God, he loved that woman. Shaking himself out of his reverie, Jack glanced at his watch. "Damn, it's already seven." It took him a few minutes to find his car keys; somehow they got buried beneath the stack of DVDs the kids had brought home. He grabbed them, shouted out goodbye to Reggie and Lily and headed out the door.

———

Lily stood in the living room, puzzled. Realizing she had left her laptop on the couch, Lily went to retrieve it but stopped short when she heard her father whispering. Remembering the signs her dad had taught her about private moments, she lingered in the hallway, patiently waiting for the voice noise to stop, signally the end of his quiet conversation. Although she couldn't hear the words, she could tell by his voice they were happy ones. It didn't make sense to the sensitive girl. Her brother had told her to be extra nice to her dad because he was very sad about Erica. But why would he be humming if he was sad? Humming was a happy noise. Much as she tried, she was unable to organize the pieces in her mind in such a way that would help her understand. She thought about asking Reggie to explain but decided that private equaled silence. Lily picked up her laptop and returned to her room.

———

On the way over to the Valley Inn, Jack reflected back on his run-in earlier with Kendall and hoped he had done the right thing. His first instinct had been to shift attention away from himself, scolding Kendall for being in such a seedy part of town. When that failed, Jack shifted gears, and matter-of-factly discussed a nearby property Cambias was considering rehabbing. He casually tossed out facts and figures about costs and benefits, changing neighborhood demographics and zoning variances. He was feeling quite proud of himself for thinking so quickly on his feet, that is until Kendall burst out laughing.

"Give it up, Jack. I saw Erica pulling away a couple of minutes ago. She was so caught up in her own little world, she practically ran me over."

"Kendall–"

"I can't believe you brought her to a place like this. That must have been some time the two of you had–"

Jack held up his hand, signaling Kendall to stop.

"in a place like this–"

"Kendall, that's enough."

"Come on, Jack. Give a girl some details." Jack's eyebrows shot up, startled by her request for information. "Please, I'm not that hard up. I want to know exactly what's up with you and my mother. And don't tell me it's none of my business. You didn't go to all this trouble of faking a breakup without a damn good reason. So, what is it Jack? What's really going on?"

Realizing he had no other choice, Jack told Kendall the whole story about Thorquist Industries and their likely involvement in larceny and corporate espionage. "It's absolutely essential, Kendall, that we not tip our hand on this. If Mariele, Andrews or any of their associates get even a hint that we're on to them, we'll never be able to get out from under. The financial hit alone could sink Cambias Industries."

"You can trust me, Jack. No one's going to hear a word about it from me."

Jack nodded. "Good. Now, I want you to get out of here, Kendall. Go home. I was serious about what I said about this place. I don't know what I was thinking having your mother meet me here today."

Kendall lightly tapped Jack on the shoulder and smiled. "I think I have a pretty good idea." Jack pursed his lips, giving her a sideways glance back. "Okay, I'm going" Kendall responded sheepishly and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

———

Mariele was waiting for Jack at the bar. "Jack, dear, I thought you were standing me up–"

"I'm sorry; I had a last-minute call from a business associate. We've just started work on a new joint venture but there were some details that need to be hashed out. You know how these things go . . ."

"Ah, yes, but all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."

"You know, I think that's the first time anyone has ever called me dull."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. Perhaps I can make it up to you later, yes?"

_Later, NO!_ Jack cleared his throat. "Well, I guess we'll just have to see about that, won't we? So, what are you drinking and may I buy you another?"

"A Harvey Wallbanger and I'd love one. But, that must be it. One more after that and who knows what I might do?" His skinned crawled just thinking about it.

While Mariele moved to their table, Jack hung back at the bar and discreetly ordered soda and lime for himself and had the bartender toss in an extra shot of vodka into Mariele's beverage. _What the hell?_ He thought. _It always seems to work on TV._

"Here you go" Jack said, handing her the drink. Almost immediately, Enrique appeared with menus. "Thanks, Enrique, but if you don't mind, the lady and I will take our time ordering. We want to have a nice, leisurely meal."

"Oh, Jack, but I'm starving!"

Forcing himself, he took her hand in his. "Food can wait. I want to just sit here for a while and enjoy the pleasure of your company. Surely you can indulge me this one time . . ."

Mariele gazed back at Jack, delighted with the attention she was receiving. It had been a long time since such an attractive man expressed any sincere interest in her. Her beauty–and her strength–intimidated so many men she came in contact with. Of course, John was an exception but, then, they knew each other from before . . . Oh, there was Brett. But he always seemed to be brooding about something. It seemed that most of the time he had an unpleasant look on his face as if he had eaten something that had just soured. But, Jackson; there was a man who was very sure of himself, comfortable in his own skin and confident in his place in the world. Oh, Mariele was starved all right, but suddenly food was the last thing on her mind.

Quickly, Jack took control of the conversation. He moved from topic to topic, careful to keep the subject off business, and tossing in the occasional compliment. Mariele seemed to lap up the attention like some sad little stray that had been without affection for far to long. He also noticed her eyes were becoming slightly glassy and her lids were beginning to droop. He almost felt sorry for her but then he remembered that because of her, he was stuck at the Valley Inn while Erica was home alone. _I've got to get something out of her; otherwise, what the hell am I doing here?  
_  
Jack flashed her his most charming smile. "So, is it true that John Andrews and you had a romance of sorts a while back?" Mariele's body snapped to attention. Jack reached out and gently stroked her face, totally disarming the woman. "I only ask because it could complicate things between us if you and he aren't really over."

"Jack, John and I–we're simply business colleagues. Nothing more. Oh, there was a time he was interested but it never went beyond a mild flirtation."

"Are you sure? I mean, it's all right if you were involved. We all have our pasts."

"I assure you. My involvement with John is strictly professional. It has been for years."

"Years? Just exactly how long have you known him?"

"Did I say years?" Jack nodded. "Well, yes, I guess you can say that. I suppose it has been four or five. Time, it moves so quickly these days."

"That must mean you met him shortly after you came to this country." Again, Jack reached out to stroke her face but this time he lingered a moment.

"Actually, no. I've been living here in the U.S. for some time now. Why I could practically apply for citizenship, it's been so long."

"Citizenship? Mariele, I didn't know you were interested in living in this country permanently. Don't you still have family in Sweden?"

"Yes, of course I do. What is your point, Jackson?" A steely expression had descended on Mariele's face. Clearly, he had hit a nerve. 

"Point? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude. I just meant that it must be difficult leaving everyone behind for long periods of time. I know how important family can be. I remember how difficult it was when my brother Travis moved so far away. It's been so long but I still miss him."

"You have a brother?"

"Had. He passed away close to five years ago" Jack replied, deftly turning the conversation back on himself. "Sometimes, I forget and reach out to call him . . ."

"You were close?"

"We shared so much."

"You poor dear. I wish—"

"I know and I appreciate it." Jack looked off into the distance and as he did, he silently counted to ten. He let out a small sigh and returned his gaze to Mariele. "I'm afraid this talk of my brother has ruined my appetite. Would you mind terribly if I took a rain check on dinner?"

Mariele looked back at Jack, crestfallen. "Perhaps, if we sit here for just a little while, your dark cloud will pass. What do you say? Shall we give it a try?"

"I'm sorry. I just think right now I need to be alone with my thoughts. You do understand, don't you?" Jack replied, mustering every bit of sadness he could.

Now it was Mariele's turn to gaze off into the distance. "Yes, yes, of course I do."

Jack rose from his chair. "Please, let me walk you to your car."

"That's not necessary."

"I insist. It's the very least I can do for ruining your evening."

"Actually, I think I am going to order a bite to eat before I go home. Please, go ahead. Get some rest."

Jack nodded somberly and turned to leave. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Andrews lingering at the concierge's desk. Careful to avoid contact, he hastily exited out the side door.

A moment later, Mariele approached John in the lobby. "What is it, John? You look like someone just stole your favorite toy."

"It's Lavery. He's been poking around, asking a lot of questions."

Mariele stared back at John and then broke into peals of laughter. "Oh, John. You really need to get control of your nerves. Ryan Lavery has trouble figuring out which button to push when he wants to go down on an elevator. I doubt he's anyone we need to worry about."

———

Jack couldn't believe his good fortune. Not only had he dodged spending the entire evening with that insufferable woman, he managed to coax enough information out of her in that hour to make the time he spent with her well worth it. The lady was known for being a cool customer in the boardroom but pour a few drinks into her and she got sloppy with her secrets, that is, if he was correctly reading between the lines. Jack was pretty sure he'd be able to dig up enough information to put a crimp in whatever Mariele was up to–if he got help from the right people. He gazed at the dash. Eight-sixteen. The guys from his crazy days in Europe were probably hitting the dance floor at one club or another. Getting a business call during prime party time, even from a good friend, would not win him any favors and that's just what he needed. Well, if he couldn't call them, he knew someone else he could call. If only he could stop by and see her in person. Jack resisted temptation and dialed Erica's number. On the third ring, she picked up the phone. "Hey, sweetheart."

"Jack? Is everything okay? Where are you?"

"Relax. Everything's fine. I'm just off Haverford Avenue."

"You're done with your dinner with Mariele?"

"I left there ten minutes ago."

"Ten minutes? It's not even 8:30. What happened?"

"What happened is I got lucky."

"Excuse me?"

Jack laughed. "No, sweetheart. I only get that kind of lucky with you."

Erica smiled into the phone. "So, what did happen with Mariele?"

"Well, aside from the fact that she practically pounced on me when I walked through the door, she was putty in my hands. Mariele is a pushover when she's had a bit too much to drink."

"You got her drunk?"

"Let's just say, I helped her along. I know, it wasn't me at my most elegant. It was just the fastest way I could think of to get her to open up to me, that is, without having to turn on my considerable charm."

"Go on–"

"Seems she's been in this country for quite some time, a lot longer than she led Thorquist to believe."

"Why would Lars Thorquist care how long she's been in the United States and what difference would it make anyway?"

"None, unless she's got something to hide. And my instincts are telling me she does. We were joking about her becoming a U.S citizen and I casually brought up her family back home. You wouldn't believe how she clammed up."

"I still don't understand why this is important."

"For whatever reason, talking about her family turns the blood in her veins to ice water. I have no idea why but if it's that big a deal to her then it's something we damn well better know more about. It may be nothing or it may just provide the missing piece in all that's been going on. Either way, by this time tomorrow we should be well on our way to finding out. I'm going to give Beppe and Dino a call in the morning and see if they'd be willing to do some investigating."

"Oh, Jack, do you have to call those two?"

"I know you're not crazy about them but I really need people looking into this that I can trust."

"What about Tad or Aidan?"

"It would take either one of them at least a day or two to get over there and we need help now. You know Beppe and Dino. They'll go anywhere at the drop of a hat if there's an adventure involved. I know they're a little wild but they're really good guys."

"A little wild?"

"Erica, I promise. They won't let us down. You know I wouldn't trust anyone with Bianca's and Miranda's future if I wasn't 100 confident we could depend on them."

"Do I have even a chance of changing your mind on this?"

"Come on, they're fluent in at least a half dozen languages and there's not a woman on this planet that can resist those two when they put their minds to it–present company excluded, of course."

"Of course."

"Erica, I really need you to be behind me on this."

Erica nodded into the phone. "Okay, Jack. I'll support you. But make sure Dino and Beppe know how important this is."

"I will, I promise. Look, sweetheart, I can't stay on the line much longer. In fact, I probably shouldn't have called you in the first place but I couldn't bear to go to sleep tonight without hearing your voice. I miss you."

"Oh, Jack. There must be some way we can see each other sooner than three days."

"Which reminds me. Kendall knows."

"Kendall knows what?"

"About you and me."

"How on Earth did that happen? I was very careful to make sure that no one followed me when I met you at that place."

"Can't even say it, can you?" Jack laughed. "Erica Kane at the Pine Cone Motel. Who says God doesn't have a sense of humor?"

"Never mind. How did she find out about us?"

"It doesn't matter. The point is she knows the breakup's a fake and she knows why."

"You told her?"

"Honey, she pretty much caught us red-handed. But it's okay. We can trust her. Beside, having her know might just come in handy. Listen, I have an idea . . ."

After hanging up with Jack. Erica made a long list of the things she could accomplish that evening; the rest would have to wait until the stores opened the next day.

It was close to 11 AM by the time Erica made it into the office and, for the first time that week, she felt rested and refreshed. The extra hour of sleep had done her wonders. Besides, she knew what lay ahead for later that afternoon. If only she had been able to wheedle the details out of Jack. Oh well, she thought, anything would be an improvement over yesterday's Pine Cone.

———

Erica looked at her watch. 4:23 PM. In another hour, it would be too late. She had known it would be a long shot but last night when they talked, Jack seemed so confident. "Well, there's no point sitting here, staring at a blank screen. If today's not going to work out, I might as well be productive." Erica picked up the phone and dialed Ryan's extension. It rang several times before a recorded message came on. "This is Ryan La–" Erica pushed the star key and was immediately cycled into Ryan's voicemail. "Ryan, this is Erica. I thought if you weren't busy we could touch base about the Splash packaging. If you get this message before 5, call me. Otherwise, I'll talk to you in the morning." Erica no sooner hung up the phone when it let out two short rings, indicating that the caller was inside the building. She glanced down at the receiver hoping to see Jack's name appear on the caller ID panel but instead it read Infirmary. She grabbed the phone and quickly identified herself.

Margaret, the company nurse, returned the slightly panicked voice with her usual soothing tone. It seemed her daughter wasn't feeling well and stopped by the infirmary about an hour ago. Kendall had been laying down since then but unfortunately there hadn't been much of an improvement. Margaret had made a point of telling Erica that Kendall's condition didn't seem very serious but nevertheless, she was uncomfortable with the notion of the young woman driving herself home.

Without hesitation, Erica shut down her computer and gathered her things. Two minutes later, she met Margaret at the entrance to her office. "How is she Margaret?"

"She's fine, Erica. Just a little run down. I think if she gets a decent meal in her and gets a good night's rest she'll be fine."

"Are you sure I shouldn't take her by the hospital?"

"The hospital? Don't be silly. Look, if she's still feeling under the weather tomorrow, have her make an appointment with her doctor."

"Mother, I'm fine. Really. Margaret shouldn't have called you."

"If you were fine, you wouldn't be here in the first place, now would you?"

"Look, I'm just a little tired; that's all. I'm perfectly capable of driving myself home."

"Yes, well, that may be but I'm driving you home anyway."

"Mother–"

"Don't argue with me, Kendall. I'm driving you home; end of discussion. Now, is there anything you need from your office before we leave?"

"Her bag's right here. I had one of the secretaries bring it down after I called you."

"Okay, then, let's go. Kendall?"

"Fine, have it your way." Kendall snatched her bag from Margaret's arms and quickly starting walking out of her office.

"Excuse my daughter, Margaret. She has a hard time showing appreciation to anyone . . . don't you Kendall?"

Kendall turned back toward the two women and gave them a forced smile. "Thank you, Margaret" Kendall said, and with the same sarcastic tone, turned toward her mother. "Happy?" 

"Oh, Kendall, you can be so charming when you want to. Honestly, is it so hard for you to be pleasant?"

"Look, Mother, I'm sure Margaret is just fascinated by our family dynamics but if it's all the same to you, can we get the hell out of here?" Erica shook her head in disgust and led her daughter out of the building to her car. She unlocked the front door and held it open. Kendall tossed her bag inside, flopped onto the seat and slammed the door shut. Exasperated, Erica moved around to the other side of the car, got in and as quickly as possible, made her way out of the Cambias parking lot. A moment later, they stopped at a red light. Kendall turned to look at her mother. "So, do you think Margaret bought it?"

"Oh, I think she's probably thanking her lucky stars right about now that she never had a daughter" Erica replied with a wide grin plastered on her face. "Kendall, you were wonderful in there."

"I was pretty convincing, wasn't I?"

"Yes, you were. I don't know how I'm ever going to be able to thank you."

"Oh, don't worry. I'll think of something."

"I'm sure you will. Now, tell me, exactly what's going on. Where am I heading?"

"I can't tell you."

"Kendall!"

"Erica, Jack swore me to secrecy. All he said is to give you this envelope. It has everything you need inside." Kendall laughed. "I can't wait to hear all about it when you get back. Just don't forget. You have to call the office tomorrow and tell them you'll be a little late because you're taking me to the doctor."

"And what about Reggie and Lily? I hate having them be home alone all night. Besides, won't they be wondering where Jack is?"

"It's covered. Reggie was going to be away tonight anyway on some school thing and I invited Lily to spend the night at my place. Jack said that as long as we stick with her schedule, she'll be fine."

Erica pulled into the parking lot at Kendall's complex and turned off the ignition. "Really, Kendall, thank you so much for all of this. I can't tell you how much it means to me to have your help."

"Well, it really means a lot knowing that you trust me."

"We've come a long way, haven't we?"

Kendall smiled and slightly nodded her head. "Have a wonderful time tonight, Mother. Give Jack a kiss for me."

"I will. Have fun with Lily. One more thing, Kendall . . ."

"What?"

"I love you." Kendall would have returned the sentiment but the lump in her throat prevented any words from escaping. Besides, the tears streaming down her face more than expressed the love she felt for her mother.

———

Jack looked at his watch. Perfect timing. He had about another thirty minutes before Erica would arrive. That would give him just enough time to check in with Dino and Beppe and see if they had made any progress. It was a long shot; they had only arrived in Sweden three hours ago. Still, when they put their minds to it, those guys were miracle workers. It was Beppe, who, on the fourth ring, finally picked up the phone. "Jacky, Jacky, you need to be patient, my friend. Dino and me, we are working hard for you and your lovely Erica."

"I know, Beppe, I know. It's just that until we find out the truth, Erica and I can only be together for a few hours at a time."

"You really love this one, don't you Jack?"

"With all my heart."

"I can hear it in your voice. That Erica, she is a special one. You're a lucky man, my campagno."

"That she is, Beppe. So, is there anything, anything at all you can tell me?"

"The Swedish women are very beautiful. Not as pretty as the women we have in Italy but in their own way, they are exquisite."

Jack was beginning to get frustrated. "Beppe, I meant about the case. Have you found out anything about Mariele's family?"

"We located her mother. She's been living on a small farm outside of Halmstad for the last ten years. Mostly keeps to herself. The townsfolk, they keep a lip tight."

"I think you mean tight-lipped. What about her father?"

"Interesting. A long time ago he used to be a big shot in business. Owned a large company. Next thing you know, the company's gone and he disappears."

"Disappears?"

"Gone. Zippo. Two years later he resurfaces and ends up in jail."

"Jail? For what?"

"That's the interesting part. No one seems to know. There's no court records. Nothing in the papers."

Jack shook his head, frustrated. "Beppe, we've got to find out what happened. I promised Erica this thing wouldn't go on much longer."

"Jacky, where is your trust, huh? Dino and me, have we ever not come through for you?"

"You have my friend. It's just that–"

"Relax, Jacky. Dino is working on it as we speak. Seems he met this girl who went to school with your Mariele."

"Please, Beppe, don't ever call her my Mariele, particularly around Erica."

"Kind of a sore spot, yes? Your Erica, she is a jealous one."

"Erica's fine. It's just that . . ." Jack heard a car pull up outside his room. "Listen, Beppe, I gotta go. Call me when you find out anything more. And thank Dino for me, will you.''

"I will Jack. You can count on us. Now go. And give that woman of yours a kiss for me."

"How'd you know–"

"Your voice. When she's near it changes. Ciao, Jack."

"Ciao, my friend."

———

Erica sat in the car for a long moment simply staring at the sign in front of her. _This has to be the right place_, she thought, though she wasn't sure if that was necessarily a good thing. But, how many hotel signs in the Poconos are draped in ivy and shaped like an eighteen-foot serpent? She looked again at the fluorescent green fauna that slithered across the reptile's body, encircling the golden apple that rested on its tongue. _Well_ Erica thought, _if this is 'Leah's Enchanted Garden' I can only imagine what her bedroom looks like_. Suddenly Erica heard a crunch of gravel followed by a knock on her car window. Frightened, she slammed on her horn until she noticed that the man standing beside her car was Jack. Erica quickly rolled down her window and began to shout at him.

"Jack, you practically scared the life out of me."

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. It's just that I saw you sitting here and was beginning to wonder if you were planning on coming inside. You are coming in, aren't you?"

"Where on Earth did you bring me this time, Jackson?"

"Leah's Enchanted Garden! Can't you see the sign?"

"I can hardly tear my eyes away. What is this place? On second thought, don't tell me. I don't think I want to know. So, are we going to take my car or am I going to follow you to the hotel we're staying at?"

"Honey, we're staying at the hotel right here."

"Jackson, please. I'm tired, it' s been a long ride and frankly I just want to get into a hot tub and soak away some of the tension in my neck. Ten minutes and I'll be good as new. So, please stop teasing me and let's just get on our way?"

"Erica, I'm serious. This IS the place we're staying. In fact, I got us the best room in the house; Paradise Cove."

"Paradise Cove" Erica repeated, completely bewildered. "Well, with a name like that I can hardly wait." After hesitating for just a moment, she pressed the button to close the windows, popped the trunk and turned off the ignition. Jack went to grab the two small suitcases and let out a large groan.

"Erica, what the hell do you have in here? We're only staying the night."

"Thank God" Erica murmured and turned her attention to Jack. "It's just a few essentials. After our unforgettable time at the Pine Cone, I wasn't about to take any chances."

"Meaning?"

"Let's just say I brought a few things along to spruce up the décor."

"Such as?"

"A few candles, some rose petals and of course, some fine linens. This time I'd like the room to be a little romantic." 

Jack smiled. "Well, I'm glad you thought of it. I'd hate the place to be lacking in mood."

"Go ahead, Jackson Montgomery. Laugh if you want but believe me, you'll soon be thanking me."

"Oh, I plan on doing a lot more than thanking you. Come on, it's this way" Just as they reached the door to the room, Jack dropped the bags and picked up Erica instead. Surprised, Erica looked up into his face and he returned her gaze with a smile. "There's no way a woman as magnificent as you should be anything but carried into a room like this. Brace yourself, sweetheart."

After walking only a few steps into their room, Erica let out a loud gasp. Jack couldn't tell if she was amazed or horrified, and decided probably a little bit of both. In front of her stood a nine-foot tall tulip, its blossom pulsating in varying shades of pink.

"Jack, what, what is it, what is that, that thing?"

Jack gently put Erica down, moved toward the long green stalk and with great fanfare, pushed a button on its sinewy surface. Slowly the bloom deepened to a fiery scarlet, its petals unfolding, revealing a steaming cauldron of bubbles. "My lady, I give you 'Leah's Basin of Beauty."

"Her what?"

Jack let out a booming laugh. "A bathtub, Erica. You, my dear, get to soak in this utopian delight."

Erica simply stared, slowly moving her eyes from the evergreen base up to the rouge bud towering before her. Finally, Erica turned to face Jack. "One question. Just exactly how do you expect me to get up there? Wait, don't tell me. There's a vine behind the drapery that I swing on."

Jack continued laughing. Erica looked back at him annoyed, and then reluctantly let out a small smile. "Erica, there's no amount of money I wouldn't pay to see that but I'm afraid you'll have to use this little ladder on the side."

"I hate to tell you this, Jack, but that's not a great deal better."

"Don't worry, sweetheart, I'll be right there to catch you."

"You promise?"

"Absolutely. I pride myself on being the consummate gentleman. Besides, you don't think for a moment I'm going to let you soak in that tub alone. I've been daydreaming about sharing a bubble bath with you in that flower since the moment I got here."

"You have, have you? And just what else have you been daydreaming about?"

Jack reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of change. "I was fantasizing about how much this would buy me."

Erica looked at him, clearly taken aback. "Excuse me?"

Jack returned her look with a smirk. "Come here" he said, and taking her by the hand, motioned her toward the bedroom. They turned the corner and in the center of a large cove stood an enormous round bed covered in pearlescent velvet and braced on what looked to be a giant clam shell. Unbelievably, the mollusk's upper shell perched above, forming a natural canopy. Beside the bed was a side table made of glass, shaped like a dolphin. Erica was so stunned she didn't notice Jack pointing to a rather utilitarian-looking device the porpoise balanced in its mouth. Small silver lettering identified the object as "Magic Fingers."

'Erica . . . Erica–"

Dazed, Erica tried to determine where the sound was coming from. Finally, Jack tapped her gently on the shoulder. "What? Oh, Jack. I'm sorry. Did you say something?"

"It's pretty unbelievable, isn't it?"

Erica tried to process her surroundings. "Unbelievable doesn't begin to cover it. I'm speechless."

"Why don't you lie down for a minute. I've got one more surprise for you."

"Jack, really, I don't think I can take another surprise."

"Come on, sweetheart, for me? Just this one last thing, I promise."

Erica sighed and sat down on the bed. "All right, fine, as long as this is the last surprise. And I insist that you lie down next to me. The day's really caught up with me and I'm feeling a little bit shaky."

Jack kicked off his shoes and settled back onto the mass of pillows scattered at the head of the bed. Erica snuggled beside him, resting her head on his shoulder. He put his arm around her and pulled her close. They lay there quietly, luxuriating in the simple warmth that flowed between them. Despite the flamboyant setting, a natural calm filled the air. And, just as sleep was about to overtake her, Jack shifted away from Erica and dropped six silver coins into the black box that was nestled between Flipper's lips.

Suddenly, a crashing roar filled the room and the bed began to thunderously rock from side to side, its speed quickening with each passing moment. Terrified, Erica let out a scream and held onto Jack for dear life. He immediately tried to rip the cord from its socket but just as he reached out to grab the box, the bed began to gyrate, spinning away from the table. The jerking motion caught Jack off guard and serendipitously thrust him onto Erica. They stared at each other wide-eyed as the bed continued to throb and pound.

Desperate to do anything that would wash away the fear he saw in Erica's eyes, Jack did the first thing that came to mind and slipped his tongue into her opened mouth. Her eyes fluttered for a moment and then closed as she lost herself in his familiar touch. They kissed deeply and passionately, their tongues locked in a dance all their own. The bed continued to shake, twist and rotate but Erica and Jack were utterly oblivious, fully engaged in creating a rhythm all their own.  



	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight (by Mary)

Jack opened his eyes as he felt Erica move away from him. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked huskily.

Erica wrapped herself in the white satin sheet she pulled off the bed and faced him with a determined look on her face. "I'm going to create that romantic ambiance I was talking about earlier. Honestly, Jack, first the Pine Cone, now this. I don't know what's worse. I mean, that snake… this bed…the Magic Fingers…"

"Sweetheart, really, I'm flattered but…" Jack's voice trailed off. "Oh, you mean Flipper," he said with a twinkle in his eye.

"You know very well what I meant," Erica said testily. "Thank God I brought those mood enhancers. It's our only chance to salvage this–this–I don't even know what to call it."

"Honey, I swear, I didn't know about the mirror–" Jack said as she headed toward the door.

"Give me fifteen minutes and then come into the other room," Erica instructed, turning back to give him a seductive smile. "Oh, and clothing is definitely optional."

Jack smiled to himself after she left, thinking how happy he was that the playful, flirtatious aspect of her personality that he loved so much had gradually returned. Erica seemed completely like her old self these days, so much so that he was debating bringing up their engagement again. Surveying their present surroundings, however, he decided that Erica might be a bit more receptive at a later date.

After the appointed time had passed, he pulled on his boxers and walked into the other room. The lights had been dimmed and without their harsh brightness, the room seemed softer and less gaudy. The fragrance of roses filled the air and looking down, he followed the trail of rose petals to the base of the tub. Chuckling softly, he climbed the ladder and arrived at the top.

The tulip petals that served as shelves around the tub were lined with flickering candles that cast a warm glow on the water. Rose petals dotted the surface of the water, the flame from the candles bringing their color alive with a fiery brilliance. 

In the midst of this incredible scene was Erica, a vision reclining in the tub with her eyes closed and her hair piled on top of her head.

"I hope you didn't have any trouble finding me," she said with a smile, opening her eyes. "What do you think?"

"Well, I certainly like the view," he said, removing his boxers and joining her in the tub. He held out his hand to her. "Come here." 

Erica moved quickly to the other side of the tub. "No, you have to stay over there," she instructed. "We need to soak up the romantic atmosphere." She pressed the button next to her and a flurry of bubbles immediately filled the tub, mingling with the rose petals. "This is so relaxing, Jack," she sighed. "It's exactly what I needed after the day I've had."

"I'm glad you found something you approve of," Jack said. "After your modifications, of course. Just how long are you staying over there anyway?" he asked her, stretching out his foot and running it up her smooth wet leg.

The bubbles were coming faster now and Erica frowned as they began to rise in the tub, obscuring her vision. "This is ridiculous," she muttered. "Where is that button? I can't see a thing."

Jack took advantage of her momentary blindness to reach out and grab her foot, pulling her over to him. He leaned over and deftly turned off the bubbles.

"That's much better," he murmured, looking down into her indignant face. "Relax, I'm just soaking up the atmosphere," he said with a grin.

Erica smiled and leaned back against him. "I have to admit this is nice," she said.

"Mmm, it certainly is," he agreed. "I propose that for the remainder of the evening, we don't even think about Cambias Industries, spreadsheets, Swedish architects or untrustworthy building contractors. Let's just concentrate on us."

"That sounds perfect," Erica replied dreamily. Jack bent his head and blew the bubbles off her shoulder, replacing them with his mouth. He inhaled the scent of her skin as he moved his mouth along her shoulder to the back of her neck. Noting her increased breathing as he found the sensitive spot behind her ear, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer against him. She shivered as he reached down and lightly drew circles on her leg with the bubbles. Erica ran her hands up his arms, admiring the feel of his wet, sinewy muscles. She turned in his arms and touched her lips to his chest. Pushing the bubbles out of the way, she ran her tongue up his chest until she reached his neck. His breath quickened as she nibbled on his neck. "I think this concentration thing is definitely working," he said huskily as she finally reached his mouth. 

"I never doubted it for a minute," she whispered, tangling her fingers in his damp hair and running her tongue along his lower lip until he opened his mouth with a moan. Her tongue sought his as they kissed deeply and he lifted her on to his lap. "Most definitely working," he said as they surrendered once again to their endless desire for each other.

———

Kendall perched on the edge of the chair across from Erica, drumming her fingers impatiently on the desk as she waited for Erica to hang up the phone.

"My goodness, what is it, Kendall?" Erica asked, putting down the phone.

"What do you think?" Kendall replied, smiling in anticipation. "Tell me all about it."

"All about what?" Erica was baffled.

"The hotel, of course," said Kendall. "Ever since Jack mentioned the Poconos, I've been thinking about one of those hotels you see in the magazines, you know, the ones with the champagne bathtubs and canopied beds."

Erica was at a loss for words. "Really, Kendall, I'm not discussing this with you."

"Oh, come on, Mother, I'm not asking for details," Kendall said, "Just a few tidbits."

"It was….interesting," Erica finally said, choosing her words carefully. "That's all I'm saying."

"So it was like the ones in the magazines? The tub, the vibrating bed…" Kendall's voice trailed off as Erica blushed. "I knew it! So what about the tub? Did you–"

"Kendall!" 

"Hmmm, so I guess you did," Kendall smiled in satisfaction.

Erica stood up and moved toward the door. "I have a lot of work to catch up on, so if you don't mind…"

"I don't mind at all," Kendall said, getting up to leave. "I'm just happy that romance is alive and well in Pine Valley–or in the Poconos, at least." She gave Erica a quick hug and walked down the hall, humming softly under her breath.

Erica shut the door behind her daughter and let her mind drift back to the night before at the hotel. She decided that even though the current situation had its difficult moments, being forced to spend time with Jack under less than idyllic circumstances had its benefits as well. She smiled slightly as she walked back over to her desk. She was engrossed in work when there was a light knock on the door. Looking up, she was surprised to see Bianca standing there.

"Bianca, sweetheart, how nice to see you," Erica said. "Checking up on things? "

"I had to come over for a meeting," said Bianca, "and I thought I'd stop in and talk to you." She looked troubled.

Erica felt her heart sink, guessing what Bianca wanted to talk about. 

"Sure, honey, how is Miranda?"

"She's fine. The teething ring really seems to be working," Bianca said as she sat down. "I wanted to talk about you and Uncle Jack though."

Erica sighed. "Honey, I know you're disappointed…"

"Disappointed?" Bianca repeated. "Mom, I really thought it was going to work this time. After everything that's happened, after all that Uncle Jack has done for you, how could you just dump him?"

"I didn't dump him, Bianca," Erica said. "It's complicated. You're just going to have to trust me that it's all going to work out."

"I really want to believe that," Bianca said sadly, "but I've heard all the gossip going around the building."

"This is truly a case of not believing everything you hear," Erica said, walking over to Bianca as her daughter stood up. "Can you trust me, Bianca? I know it's not easy after everything I've put you through but have faith in me this time… please." 

The sincerity in Erica's voice made Bianca pause. "OK, Mom, I won't say anything else but whatever's going on, I hope it's over soon."

"It will be," said Erica. "I promise. Give Miranda a kiss for me," she added as Bianca headed for the door. 

_At least Bianca seems willing to listen to an explanation_, Erica thought after her daughter had left. _We must be making some progress_. She wondered if Jack had any new information on Mariele. The fact that Beppe and Dino seemed to be their only hope right now didn't exactly inspire confidence. _This whole thing can't be over soon enough for me_, she thought, picking up a file and burying herself in work again.

———

Jack listened patiently as Greenlee sputtered on about his breakup with Erica. He had known this was coming so he figured it was best to let her get it out of her system.

"Has anything I've said here gotten through to you?" Greenlee finally asked in exasperation.

"Of course it has," Jack replied calmly. "Now can we get on with this discussion about Fusion's budget?"

"Fusion's budget?" Greenlee repeated. "I want to talk about Erica."

"Honey, you just did," Jack said, glancing at his watch. "For about 20 minutes."

"But do you really get it?" Greenlee asked. "Are you finally ready to admit that she's not good for you?"

"Greenlee, I don't want to discuss this," Jack said. "Let's just say that things have never been clearer between Erica and me."

"Well, good," Greenlee sat down in relief. "Because she stood right here in this office and assured me that she was never going to hurt you again and then what did she do? She trampled all over your heart for the hundredth time. You know what? I'm going to give her a piece of my mind." She stood up with a determined look on her face.

Jack jumped up and rounded his desk, effectively blocking Greenlee's path. "Greenlee, no, that's the last thing you need to do," he said. "Just leave it alone."

Greenlee hesitated. "Alright," she said reluctantly. "But I'd just love to tell her what I think of her."

"Let's just have a cooling down period, OK?" Jack suggested. "I'm sure she realizes how you feel." The thought of Greenlee barging into Erica's office and verbally attacking her for breaking up with him was more than he could deal with at the moment. _Please, God, let that be a scene I never have to witness_, he thought.

They discussed the Fusion budget for the next half hour and then Greenlee got up to leave. "I'm really glad you're here, Dad," she surprised Jack by saying. "It's been a big help. Things weren't going so well, although I hate to admit it. It's nice to have someone to come to with these things."

Jack walked over and put his arm around his daughter's shoulder. 

"You know what? I'm really enjoying it too. Getting to spend more time with you has been an added bonus. How about coming over and having dinner with Lily, Reggie and me tonight?"

Greenlee paused for a minute and then smiled. "Sure, why not? Just tell Reggie to lay off the short jokes, OK?"

"I'll try but you know I can't make any promises," Jack responded wryly as Greenlee left. "See you around seven."

He walked over to his desk and leaned back in his chair. It had been a long day and still no word from Beppe and Dino. Obviously, they had nothing new to report. As much as he was looking forward to dinner with the kids, he wished that Erica could join them. Thinking of her, he realized that even though they couldn't see each other until the next night, there was no reason he couldn't email her now. Smiling at the thought of the evening he had planned for them, he fashioned what he hoped was a tantalizing message and sent it to her. 

Before he left for the evening, he opened his desk drawer and took out the box that held the engagement ring. Thinking that tomorrow night it would be back on Erica's finger where it belonged, he put the box in his jacket pocket and turned out the lights.

———

Reggie threw some extra clothes in his backpack and yelled down the hallway to his sister. "Lily, let's get a move on. We're going to be late."

Lily appeared in the living room with a small suitcase. "What are we moving?" she asked, clearly puzzled. "I thought we were going to Bianca's."

"We are," Reggie said. "It's just an expression. Forget it." He looked at Lily's suitcase. "Man, why can't girls go anywhere without taking their whole closet? We're just spending the night at Bianca's, not a whole week."

"I know, but if I have a lot of my things, I won't be as nervous," Lily replied.

"Hey, there's no reason to be nervous," Reggie said. "We'll have a blast. You love spending time with Miranda. Besides, Jack said this is the last night he'll have to spend away on business for a long time."

"I know, I just miss him," Lily said wistfully.

"Yeah, me too, and I hate that he's so miserable without Erica," Reggie said. "That's why I haven't said anything else about him being away so much."

"But he's not miserable, Reggie," Lily said. "He's happy. I can tell."

"Yeah, I know he put on a big act last night when Greens was here for dinner but he's gotta be hurting," Reggie said, "He's never gonna be happy without Erica. That's all there is to it."

"He is happy though, Reggie," Lily insisted. "The other day he was on the phone and I could tell from his voice that he was happy. He was whispering and I couldn't hear what he said, but he sounded just like he does when he talks to Erica."

"You must have gotten it wrong, Lily," Reggie said.

"And this morning, before he left for work, he was humming. Then he picked up a box from the counter and put it in his pocket," Lily continued. "He seemed really happy about that."

Reggie stopped trying to stuff his sweatshirt into the backpack. "What kind of box?" he asked.

"It was small and black–like the one your class ring came in," Lily answered.

Reggie pulled the zipper shut on the backpack and flung it over his shoulder. "Come on. We're making a stop on the way to Bianca's."

"Where?" asked Lily, confused. 

"Just a little detour to Cambias Industries," Reggie said. "I have a feeling something strange is going on and we're getting to the bottom of it."

———

Erica looked at the clock on the dashboard. She should be there any minute, she thought. She was hopeful that this time she might be pleasantly surprised by their surroundings. Thinking about Jack's email brought a smile to her face.

_Sweetheart,_

_I will provide the ambiance this time. Just bring your gorgeous self and something stunning to wear (at least for the first part of the evening). I can promise you an unforgettable night where magic will be recreated and a special object returned to its rightful place. Directions to follow._

_Love,_

_Jack_

Erica rounded the corner in the road and looked around in delight. Although she was only in Llanview, Erica felt like she was a million miles away from Pine Valley. She hadn't even known this place existed. In front of her was a beautiful white building with a distinct Mediterranean flair. Flowers spilled from the boxes on the wide verandas and water trickled gently from a fountain in the courtyard. Erica smiled at the sign that read "The Continental Inn" as she walked into the building.

The foyer was deserted and since Jack had given her the room number, she headed for the elevator. As she walked along the hall, Erica noticed the names on the rooms. Rome, Venice, London. She didn't need to even glance at the number when she reached the room with the Eiffel Tower on the door. Tingling with anticipation, Erica opened the door to the room where it had all begun.

Closing the door behind her, she gazed around in delight. It was like stepping into the past. The room reminded her so much of their room in Paris, from the furnishings and décor to the immaculately set dining table. A cool breeze drifted in from the open patio doors, stirring the petals on the flowers that filled the room. She smiled as Jack walked in from the other room, looking incredibly handsome in a black suit. "I was starting to think you got lost," he said teasingly.

"Not a chance," she said, walking over to kiss him. "I missed you."

"Not half as much as I missed you," he replied, meeting her lips with his own and kissing her deeply. "So, what do you think of the ambiance?"

"What do I think?" Erica repeated. "It's absolutely perfect, Jack, just gorgeous." She did a quick turn so he could get the full effect of her white gown. "What about me? Will I do?"

"Oh, you will most definitely do," he said, taking her hand and pulling her close again. "You're even more beautiful than you were that night in Paris, if that's possible." He raised her hand and kissed it lingeringly, then led her over to the table and pulled out her chair.

For the next hour, they talked about Reggie and Lily, as well as Bianca, Kendall and Greenlee. They laughed easily over Jack's stories of his adventures with Beppe and Dino and, before Erica knew it, dinner was over.

"I can't possibly eat another bite," Erica said as Jack placed a beautiful glass dish with a silver lid in front of her with a flourish. "I hope that's not some decadent dessert."

"In all the years I've known you, sweetheart, is that likely?" Jack asked. "Go ahead, take a look." He was watching her in a way that Erica could not quite fathom.

Drawing a deep breath, she lifted the lid. Laying on the dish was a small black velvet box. Erica stared at it for a few moments, saying nothing as the knowledge of what it was sank in. She lifted her eyes and met Jack's gaze across the table. The look on his face told her everything she needed to know.

"Is this what I think it is?" she asked, still somewhat hesitant. 

"I think you know it is," Jack answered, taking the box off the dish. He walked over to her and drew her to her feet.

"Jack, I–" she started to say tearfully.

"Shhh," he placed his finger against her lips. "Let me say what I need to say to you." She was silent, looking up at him as he spoke. 

"I know when you gave this back to me, we weren't in a good place," he began. "and I have to take responsibility for most of that. I made a huge mistake when I agreed to keep Bianca's pregnancy from you. I should have persuaded her that she had to tell you right away. I should have realized that my knowing, even for a short while, would seem like a huge betrayal to you. Then you left and I was so scared," he continued. "I didn't know how to help you. Then I realized that you had to help yourself. Sweetheart, I don't think I can ever tell you how proud I am of what you did. You faced the darkest moments of your life, you fought them, and won. You are so strong and I love you so much." He wiped the tears that ran down her cheeks. "Let me finish," he said as she tried again to speak.

"When you first came home, I was so scared that you would run again. I didn't want to push you. I wanted you to know that the way I felt about you hadn't changed–that it would never change. I wasn't sure that you even wanted to be engaged again . . ."

"Of course I did," Erica said with a tremulous smile. "I wasn't sure if _you_ did. And every time I tried to talk about it, you'd either change the subject or we'd get interrupted. I certainly thought you knew how I felt."

"Well, the day that we staged the fight, I finally got a clue," Jack said with a laugh. "I was going to wait until this whole mess was over but I don't want to wait any longer. So, without further ado…"

Jack sat Erica back down in her chair and got down on one knee. Taking her hand in his, he opened the ring box. The large diamond sparkled brighter than Erica had ever seen it, a sign of their future together, she thought. "I love you, Erica Kane," Jack told her, looking at her in the way that made her feel like she was the only woman in the world. "I want you to be my wife, to be by my side, always, in everything I do," he said, taking the ring out of the box. "You're my heart. You have been from the moment that we met." He took a deep breath. "Will you marry me?"

"Yes, Jackson, I will marry you," she said softly as he slipped the ring on her finger and leaned in to kiss her tenderly. She looked at him through her tears. "I want to spend the rest of my life showing you how much I love you and how important you are to me. I never could have gotten through everything that's happened without you and I can never tell you how grateful I am for what you did to help Bianca and Kendall while I was gone."

"Sweetheart, you don't ever need to be grateful. There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you and our family. You know that," he said, drawing her to her feet once again. "But enough about the past. It's our future that's important. As soon as this thing at Cambias is over, we are going to plan the biggest, most spectacular wedding that Pine Valley has ever seen."

"I can't wait," Erica said, reaching up to touch his face. 

"Neither can I," replied Jack. "And right now," he said, picking her up and carrying her toward the bed. "I can't wait to make love to my fiancé."

"Fiancé–I love the way that sounds," she said as he lowered her to the bed. She reached up to pull him down to her. "I love you so much, Jack," she said, running her fingers through his hair.

"I love you," he said huskily as their lips met with the promise of what was to come.

———

Reggie quickly shut the door behind them and walked over to Jack's desk as Lily trailed after him uncertainly. "Reggie, I still don't know what we're doing here," she said nervously. "Bianca is waiting for us."

"Relax, this will just take a minute," Reggie replied, sitting down in Jack's chair.

"But we shouldn't even be here," Lily protested. "Everyone is gone."

"There's still a couple of people around," Reggie said. "Look, there's no reason we can't be in Jack's office. We're his kids."

Lily came over to stand next to him. "I guess so," she said. "I just really want to get to Bianca's."

Reggie pulled open the top drawer of Jack's desk and rummaged through it quickly. "I knew it!" he exclaimed triumphantly. 

"Knew what?" Lily asked.

"Erica's engagement ring­–it's gone," Reggie said. "It's been in here for weeks. I've caught Jack looking at it a million times. That's what the box was that you saw this morning."

"I don't understand," said Lily, frowning in puzzlement.

"You said J's been happy," Reggie explained. "Talking on the phone, humming, taking that box with him. Well, there's no way he's giving that ring to that ice princess so there's only one explanation. He and Erica are back together and you know what? I don't think they were ever apart."

"Now I really don't understand, Reggie," Lily sighed.

"I know, neither do I. I can't figure it out but as long as they're together, that's all that matters," Reggie said. 

"Wait, what's that?" Lily asked as Reggie started to close the drawer. Reggie stopped and looked down at the large sheet of paper that had caught Lily's attention. 

"I don't know, Lily. Some kind of spreadsheet."

Lily reached down and picked it up out of the drawer. "I know what this is," she said. "It's that paper that always makes Daddy get those frown lines when he looks at it. Like he can't understand it." She scanned it quickly. "These figures are all wrong." She studied it more closely. "It makes sense though if you look at it the right way."

"That thing's been driving Jack crazy for weeks," Reggie said. "Do you really think you can figure it out?"

"Sure, if I can see the other numbers," Lily answered. "Numbers always make sense, Reggie. They have to."

Reggie removed himself from Jack's chair and seated Lily in front of the computer. "If whatever is going on with Jack and Erica has something to do with this, we owe it to them to give it a shot." 

"We'll need Daddy's password," she said. "We can't log on without it."

"It's probably Erica's measurements," Reggie muttered under his breath.

"What?"

"Nothing," he replied. "I'm sure we can narrow it down. It's gotta be about Erica. Let's just hope it's not all of her last names or we'll be here all night."

———

Erica put the finishing touches on her make-up and smiled as her ring sparkled in the mirror. She honestly didn't think she could be any happier after what happened the night before. She and Jack were engaged again, her relationship with Bianca seemed to be back on track, and hopefully this mess at Cambias would be over soon. Regretfully, she took off her engagement ring and put it in her purse. The day that she could wear it again in public couldn't come fast enough for her. As she gathered her things to leave, the shrill ring of the phone made her jump.

She hesitated briefly, wondering if it was safe to answer it. Jack had left a half hour earlier in a rush to get to the office for a meeting. Thinking that it could be him, she picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Ah, this is the beautiful Erica, no?" the voice with the Italian accent made her pause. "Jack, he is a lucky man."

"Who is this?" Erica asked guardedly.

"I am crushed you don't recognize my voice, cara. If you come to Europe, I promise you will never forget me," the voice continued.

"Look, Beppe–"

"It is Dino, my lovely one," he said. "As much as I would love to speak to you, I have information for Jack."

"He's not here," Erica said. "What kind of information?"

"I have something new on his Mariele," Dino told her. 

"That would be impossible under any circumstances," Erica said evenly. "Jack doesn't have a Mariele."

"Ah, Jack said you would be jealous," Dino chuckled softly.

"He said what?"

"As you Americans say–forgot it," Dino said, still laughing.

"Forget it," Erica corrected him absently. 

"Yes…so where is Jack?" Dino asked. "I need to speak to him about that woman–I know better than to say her name twice."

"You can't reach him right now," Erica said, thinking quickly. "Just give me the information, Beppe."

"Dino–"

"I'll pass it on to Jack," Erica continued.

"I don't know…" Dino hesitated.

"Really­–Dino," Erica changed her tone. "I don't know when you'll be able to get in touch with Jack and it's important that we get this information. I would be so grateful…"

Dino sighed. "I cannot resist a beautiful woman," he said. "Promise me you will tell Jack as soon as you see him."

"Of course," Erica said sweetly. She listened for the next five minutes as Dino gave her the information he and Beppe had uncovered. When he finished, she was silent. 

"Cara? Are you there?" Dino's voice interrupted her reverie.

"Yes, Dino, I'm here," she answered. "Thank you. I have to go."

"Make sure you tell Jack–"

Erica hung up the phone and sat down on the bed. _If what Dino had told her was true…_Deciding that she wasn't going to wait any longer to become Mrs. Jackson Montgomery than she had to, she grabbed her belongings and left the room.

———

The short, stocky man parked his car and got out. Carrying a large brown envelope, he walked over to the dark-haired man waiting for him and handed over the envelope without a word.

John Andrews took the pictures from the envelope and sorted through them quickly. There was no expression on his face as he looked at the pictures of Erica with Jackson Montgomery. 

"This is about a week ago at the Pine Cone Motel," the man said. 

"This is a few days ago in the Poconos, and these are from last night at an inn in Llanview."

"It appears that reports of their breakup have been greatly exaggerated," John said, stuffing the pictures in his pocket. 

"What do you want me to do?" asked the short man.

"Nothing, I'll handle it from here," John said. He walked to his car, thinking of his last date with Erica. He gritted his teeth at how she had flirted with him. He had been so sure that it was over between her and Jackson Montgomery and there she was all over him in those pictures. She had lied to him–and for what? How much did she know? Determined that no woman would get away with playing him for a fool, he drove away with a squeal of tires.

———

Jack sat down in his chair and glanced at the phone. He sighed in frustration–no messages. _What the hell was taking Beppe and Dino so long with the rest of the information? Even with the time difference, they should have had something for him by now._ After the way things had gone the night before, he was more anxious than ever to get this situation resolved. The private line rang suddenly and he grabbed the phone. Dino's voice came through with a sense of urgency.

"Jack? I've been waiting for you to call back, my friend," Dino said.

"Call back?" Jack repeated. "What are you talking about?"

"Didn't the beautiful Erica give you my message?"

"When did you speak to Erica?" Jack asked, confused.

"This morning–at the number you gave me for the inn," Dino answered.

"You'd better start at the beginning, Dino," Jack said. He listened for the next several minutes as his old friend updated him on what he had learned. Jack took a long moment to process what Dino had said, trying to make sense of it. Something just didn't feel right. "OK, Dino, I'm going to have to get back to you," he said. "I need to touch base with Erica."

Dino's attention was suddenly diverted by Beppe waving his hands in the background. "Jack, hold on a minute. I think Beppe has something." Dino handed the phone to his partner in crime and listened intently as his friend simultaneously updated both men. As Beppe relayed his news, Jack felt a growing sense of unease. 

"Thanks, Beppe–and thank Dino for me too. I knew I could count on you guys. Listen, if you find out anything more . . ."

"We'll keep up the dig. Now, go."

Jack hung up the phone and tried to quiet the suspicion that was forming in his mind. Maybe Erica just hadn't had the opportunity to get in touch with him, he thought. Although for this kind of news, she certainly could have called him on his cell phone. Surely she wouldn't try to handle this on her own… He picked up the phone again and dialed Erica's cell phone, hanging up when he got transferred to her voice mail. Throwing caution to the wind, he pressed the button for Erica's extension. He swore under his breath when he got her voice mail again and then pushed the button for Erica's secretary. "Hi, Peggy, it's Jack," he said. "Do you know where Erica is?" He could tell she was surprised to hear his voice as she answered. 

"She called in this morning and said she'd be in later. I'm not sure when. There's nothing on her schedule for this afternoon as far as I can see."

"Look, Peggy, can you go in and take a look on her desk? Maybe she added something to her copy," Jack said impatiently. He could sense Peggy's hesitation and added, "I wouldn't ask you if it wasn't important. I need to find her." He tapped his fingers on the desk with increasing urgency as he waited. He looked up as the door suddenly opened and Reggie and Lily burst in.

"J–it's about time, we've been waiting to talk to you all morning," Reggie said excitedly. 

Jack put up his hand. "Not now Reg, I'm in the middle of something here."

"This is more important," Reggie continued, ignoring him. "You know that spreadsheet you've been trying to make sense of? Lily found something but we need your help–"

Jack barely had time to process this information when Peggy came back on the line. "Jack, she scribbled something on her calendar. Hold on–I can't make it out. OK, it says 1:00–Lunch–Joan–no, John Andrews. Does that help?"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine (by Misha)

Jack glanced at his watch. 10:30_. Plenty of time to deal with whatever the kids were yammering on about and still have time to head Erica off at the pass._ _Kids? What the hell were Reggie and Lily doing at the office instead of at school where they belonged?_ There was one way to find out. Jack thanked Peggy for her help and leaned back in his chair. "Okay, you two, exactly what are you doing here and what is that you keeping waving around?"

"The spreadsheet, Jack. Lily and I were here working on it all night and–"

"You were what?"

"We were work–" 

"I heard you the first time. What I want to know is what you were doing in my office in the first place. Correct me if I'm wrong here, but weren't you supposed to be spending the night at Bianca's?"

"We did, Daddy. We got there at 11:07 PM. We apologized to Bianca for getting there so late. Reggie told her we were with friends and lost track of the time." Lily turned to face her brother. "I still don't understand why we didn't tell Bianca the truth. I thought honesty is always the best policy." 

"You're right sweetheart, it is. Reggie?"

"Okay, I should have told Bianca the truth but I didn't want to freak her out. Besides, she just would have asked a bunch of questions you'd just as soon have me avoid answering."

"Could you be any more cryptic here?" Jack asked.

"The ring? You? Erica?" Reggie replied shrugging his shoulders. "Look, I don't know why you guys are keeping whatever's really going on with the two of you a secret but, yeah, we know all about it. So much for honesty, huh?"

"Reggie, I can explain. It's just, it's complicated, man."

"Whatever. I'm sure you've got your reasons. You and me, we can sit down and have one of your famous man-to-man talks some other time. For now, I'm cool with it."

"Thanks, man. I appreciate it. So, what is it you need my help with and I'm sure whatever it is explains why you two are here and not in school?"

———

A loud screech filled the air and gravel showered the road as Erica peeled out of the hotel parking lot and onto West Chester Pike. Just missing the light, Erica pulled out her cell phone to dial Jack. She hung onto the line for a moment before noticing she had no dial tone. Realizing the battery had gone dead, she tossed it aside and figured Dino's news would have to wait until she saw Jack in person. In the meantime, she had a score to settle with a certain blonde behemoth.

———

Jack stared at the spreadsheet in his hand. Lily had circled one number down each row of the sixth column but for the life of him, he couldn't figure out what he was looking at.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, but I still don't get it."

"It's a puzzle, Daddy."

"Yeah, honey, it's a puzzle, all right." Jack's furrowed eyebrows mirrored the confused look on his face.

"It's like an anagram but instead of letters being switched, the person used numbers."

"You mean, like a code?"

Lily's face lit up. "Yes. I can spell it out but the letters don't make sense to me. It's V – E – R – K – A"

"Verkaat" Jack finished.

"Good, Daddy. Verkaat. What does that mean?"

"I don't know sweetheart, but I'm sure going to find out." Jack sat down in front of his terminal and reached for his mouse.

"Uh, I think it's frozen" Reggie offered.

"Excuse me?"

"You know, locked up."

"How did–" 

"We were kind of trying to break into your computer. Look, we would have called you but after NOT finding Erica's ring in your desk, I figured you probably didn't want to be interrupted. Bianca, Lily and me–we do enough of that as it is."

"So, that's what you were doing all night? Trying to hack into my computer?" 

"Yeah, you know, you've got some crazy software on that machine. Usually I'm pretty good at getting into someone's system–not that I do that a lot, of course–"

"Of course. You and me; we'll talk about that later."

"But there was something really weird going on."

"Weird how?" Jack asked.

"Every time we got close to your root directory, we'd see a quick flash of numbers and then these funny characters would pop up and eat 'em or something. It was strange."

"Numbers, huh? You don't happen to remember what those numbers were do you?" Jack asked.

Reggie shrugged his shoulders. "Nah, I–"

Lily interrupted her brother. "It was 34216153893."

Jack quickly jotted the numbers down on a piece of paper, slipped it into his pocket and checked his watch again. 10:48 AM. Erica's lunch with Andrews wasn't for another two hours and still no word on her whereabouts. He needed to do something, figure out where the hell she could be but first he had to get the kids out of here.

"Listen, you two. You've been a lot of help but now it's time both of you got back to school. I'll give the office a call and explain that there was a family problem and that you were with me." Reggie opened his mouth but Jack headed him off at the pass. "No arguments. I need to concentrate here and I'm not going to be able to do that with you hanging around. So, for me, please, go to class, learn something and then go right home. Okay? No stopping off anywhere either. I'm not sure what's going on here but I need to know that if you're not at school you're safe at home. Will you do that for me?"

"Yes, Daddy."

"Reggie?"

"Fine, but I'm not happy about it" Reggie said and grabbed his knapsack.

Jack kissed his son's forehead. "Thanks, man. And don't worry, things are going to be okay."

"Now that I know that Erica and you are good, I actually think this family has a chance."

As soon as the door swung shut behind Reggie and Lily, Jack picked up the phone and called Hank Donia. Hank was an average guy in every way but one–he was a genius with the computer. Ten minutes later he was seated behind Jack's desk, mumbling to himself as he jotted down notes on a crumpled piece of paper.

"What is it, Hank?" What do you think's going on?"

"I'm not exactly sure yet but whatever it is, it's not good."

"That much I gathered. Any idea when you'll get a handle on it?'

"It might take a while. One wrong move and I could activate a worm that would bring Cambias Industries to its knees. Whoever did this to your system wasn't messing around."

"Great" Jack responded, somewhat deflated. "The one thing we don't have a lot of is time."

"I'll work as fast as I can but I'm afraid the soonest I can give you any meaningful information will be after lunch."

"Lunch?" Jack replied, his mood visibly brightening. "The way you were talking I thought we were looking at weeks, not hours."

"I guess us computer guys have a different sense of time than the rest of you mere mortals" Hank chortled.

"Yeah, well, you just keep working on it. In the meantime, I'm going to head down to your office and do some research of my own. I assume it's okay to use your computer?"

"Sure, just power down when you're done. Leaving a terminal on for long periods of time is just inviting trouble in my opinion. You wouldn't believe the number of people out there that know how to break into a computer . . ."

Jack shook his head thinking back to his recent conversation with his son. "Actually Hank, I'm getting a better idea of that all the time."

"Most of it's pretty harmless; I think it's this generation's version of making crank calls."

"Prince Albert on a hard drive, huh?" Jack laughed, ruefully.

"Something like that."

"Alright, well, give me a call when you find something . . . I'll be around for another hour or so and then I'm heading over to the Valley Inn. You have my cell phone number, right?"

Hank patted his breast pocket that was bulging from the weight of his PDA. "Right here."

Jack nodded and quickly left his office. It took him only fifteen minutes surfing the net to find what he was looking for and even less time to start piecing together more of the puzzle. Verkaat was not only the name of a rare fish indigenous to the icy waters of the North Sea but was also the name of an irrigation system that was completed in Sweden more than ten years ago.

———

As she slowed up in front of the security station that fronted the entrance to The Ardmore Crossing condominiums, Erica pasted the most intoxicating smile on her face. If she was to get the truth from Mariele it was vital that the scheming witch not be alerted to her surprise guest. Erica rolled to a stop and a rotund man, easily in his seventies, popped his balding head out of the booth.

"Good morning, Miss, uh, Miss uh, Ms. Kane?"

"Why good morning to you too, Mr. . . . Mr. Bailey is it?" Erica replied, having quickly read the identification placard propped at the base of the window.

The pudgy old man was visibly flustered. "Yesss, ma'am" the man stuttered, absentmindedly fingering the identical lanyard he wore around his neck. "Tom, Tom Bailey. Gosh, darn it all, why you're as pretty as a picture. Goodness! Why, if I were just a tad younger . . ." Erica let out a soft laugh and, as she gently patted the man's outstretched arm, a slight blush colored his cheeks. "Just wait until I tell the wife who I met today. My oh, my, I'll tell you, she sure is a big fan of yours. Why I can't remember the last time we made it out of Lacey's department store without first stopping to pick up a handful of your cosmetics. They like to take over the entire counter of our bathroom, you'll pardon my French."

"Oh, Tom–may I call you that?" Erica queried, fluttering her lashes for effect. Bailey shook his head in the affirmative. "Tom, please give her my regards. And, as a matter of fact" Erica reached into her briefcase for a business card "may I borrow your pen?" She quickly scribbled something onto the card and signed her name. "Give her this. Next time she's at Lacey's the moisturizer's on me" she said brightly.

"Thank you Ms. Kane, that's mighty generous of you. I sure do appreciate it and I'm sure Floreen will too. She, uh, forgive my manners. You're a busy woman and I'm just going on and on. I'm sure you've got someplace you need to be right about now. Now, uh, um, who did you say you were visiting today? I'll let the lucky person know you're here" Bailey finished and picked up the telephone receiver that was mounted on the wall.

Erica flashed the man a sweet smile. "If you wouldn't mind bending the rules just this once, I'd love it to be a surprise."

"I don't know, Ms. Kane. This place is really funny about that kind of thing . . ."

Erica quickly switched gears and appeared crestfallen. "I understand, of course. It's just that . . . well, I was hoping . . ." Erica slowly moistened her lips. "I hoped, Tom, this could be our little secret" she whispered. "I'm on a mission of love."

Tiny beads of perspiration broke out on the guard's forehead. "I guess it wouldn't do any harm if I waved you through. Floreen's always said I was a fool for romance." 

"Oh, Tom, you have no idea how much this means to me. Your wife is a lucky woman," Erica purred as she waved and slowly pulled through the opened gates. At the stop sign she glanced at the address she had jotted down just before leaving the hotel room. _Okay, now where is that woman's building_, Erica wondered, as she stared at the half dozen or so identical towers. Turning the corner, she spotted a giant "F" on the side of one of the edifices. _There it is . . . F for fraud_. Erica pulled into a nearby parking spot and simultaneously collected her purse and her thoughts. She was certainly no fan of Mariele's but after what Dino told her, she couldn't help but admire the woman's temerity.

Erica was just about to ring the doorbell when the door swung open. "Going somewhere?" Erica inquired.

"Erica? How did you get in here?" Mariele asked, obviously startled by her nemesis's presence.

"The usual way. I used the door."

Mariele rolled her eyes in disgust. "What I meant is, how did you get past the gate? Security is supposed to check with us before letting just anyone in" she finished haughtily.

"Well, first of all, I'm not just anyone. And if you must know, a friend in a nearby building was more than happy to give the guard the go-ahead" Erica lied.

"Yes, well, then I'm sure he or she will be delighted by your visit. I, on the other hand, have someplace I need to be."

Erica pushed past her. "I'm afraid that's going to have to wait. You and I have some business we need to discuss."

"Call my office and make an appointment. Now, if you'll excuse me . . ." 

"Oh, I'm not going anywhere, not until you and I get a few things straight." Erica quickly took in her surroundings and, sizing up the room, was immediately struck with the spartan feel of the space. The sterile design perfectly mimicked Mariele's icy exterior.

_I give up_ Mariele thought. _The only way to get rid of the little she-devil is to humor her_. "Okay, Erica, have it your way. What is it you need to get off that tiny chest of yours?"

"I just had a very interesting conversation with a friend of mine overseas."

"Oh, let me guess; was it a man?" When Erica refused to acknowledge the question, Mariele continued "Of course I'm not the least bit surprised. You're just the type to have a man in every port. I'm sure that's just one of the many reasons Jack crossed you off his party list."

"Aren't you clever?" Erica responded without missing a beat. "It seems that with your history, you've been crossed off more than a couple of guest lists of your own."

"My history? What on Earth are you talking about Erica?"

"You've been keeping quite a few secrets, Mariele."

"Have I?"

"Oh, most definitely. In fact, why don't I give you an example" Erica taunted, raising her index finger for effect. "Tell me something, Mariele. Does Lars Thorquist realize that he hired the daughter of a known eco-terrorist?"

Mariele's frosty veneer immediately dissolved and was replaced with a fiery glow. "Just what the hell are you talking about, Erica?"

"I'm sorry. Did I strike a nerve?"

"Erica, if I were you, I'd drop this right now."

"Yes, well, you're not me and I have no intentions of dropping 'this' anytime soon. You're a fake and a fraud and someone needs to let Lars know what he's dealing with sooner rather than later. . ." Erica jeered, moving toward the phone that was resting on the side table.

Mariele jumped in her pathway. "You're not calling anyone Erica. Not about this, not about anything!"

"Are you threatening me, Mariele?"

"Threatening you? You mean, am I going to snap your chicken neck like the foul person you are?"

Erica stood as tall as her petite frame would allow. "Oh, you just try it, you glacial bitch."

Mariele eyes hardened as she towered over her adversary, hoping to intimidate Erica with her size but it was clear that Erica's diminutive stature belied her steely determination. "Fine, tell Thorquist whatever you want" Mariele offered. "It doesn't matter now anyway. It's too late for him or Jack to do anything about things now . . ."

Erica stopped dead in her tracks. "Jack? What does any of this have to do with Jack?"

"I guess now it's my turn to hit a nerve, Erica, yes?"

"What does your father being jailed for blowing up an irrigation system have to do with Jack?" The sudden fear radiating in Erica's eyes struck a chord in Mariele's dormant heart.

"Relax, Erica. Jack's in no danger. I would never harm a hair on that beautiful blonde head of his. And, from the look on your face, it's obvious that the sudden breakup between the two of you isn't quite as serious as you've led everyone to believe."

Erica was thrown by the soft tone in Mariele's voice but was hesitant to reveal too much too quickly. "Jack and I have a long history together. And, as you well know, my daughter Bianca's also his niece."

"Yes, the two of you do have an interesting, if tangled relationship."

"Let's get back to the part about Jack being involved with whatever went on with your father . . ."

"First of all, let's be clear on one thing. My father is not an eco-terrorist. Whoever told you that he was, is lying to you."

"So you deny that he's in jail for that very thing? Come on, Mariele, try and be honest for once in your sorry life . . ."

All of the spit and fight that filled the room evaporated as Mariele folded herself onto the nearby rocker. "It's not true; none of it. My father is a good man."

Caught off guard, Erica's pulse quickened as thoughts of her own father raced through her mind. "I know we all like to think our fathers are decent Mariele, but that's not always the case. Believe me, I know from painful experience."

"Erica. I know your father was a despicable man and for that, I'm sorry. Truly, I am. But my father is honest and kind and would never do any of the things he was accused of. He was framed, plain and simple. The charges, the terrible lies that were told about him were manufactured by evil men and today I got the evidence I needed to prove his innocence." 

Erica didn't know what to make of this sudden turn of events. For the first time since she met Mariele Girtz, she felt an odd sort of kinship. No, not quite kinship; perhaps just a hint of empathy. "Let's assume for the moment I believe your story and trust me, I am still a long way away from that. I still don't understand how any of this involves Jack. Correct me if I'm wrong but your father has been in prison for close to eight years and I know for a fact that the two of you–Jack and you–crossed paths less than a month ago. Or are you trying to imply–"

"I'm implying nothing. It's true. Jack and I met only a few weeks ago, right after he took over the reins of Cambias Industries."

"Then how does this involve–"

"Twelve years ago my father entered into a business agreement with Olaf Thorquist–Lars' father. Three months earlier Olaf purchased a fishery that was in bankruptcy. It had once been among the most successful mackerel and herring farms on the East coast of Sweden, that is, until unscrupulous developers diverted one of the streams that fed the wetlands. Before long, the water tables dropped and production levels declined. That's where my father came in. He was hired to install a state-of-the-art irrigation system that tapped into a natural river basin twenty miles away. Once the work was completed, the fishery would again be profitable and the surrounding community was expected to thrive."

"Go on . . ."

Mariele continued "My father did the construction–at a much lower profit margin than he needed to, I might add–he was that committed to helping revitalize the area. The new system worked like a dream, much better than even he had hoped for. Unfortunately, Thorquist's motives were not so pure. That's when the trouble started. Unbeknownst to my father, Olaf had also entered into a side agreement with Alex Cambias Sr."

———

Jack pulled into the far end of the Valley Inn parking lot at 12:45 PM and waited for Erica to arrive. About five minutes later, he saw John's car turn in and quickly ducked to avoid being spotted. Fortunately, the man parked a good distance away allowing Jack to comfortably watch as Andrews made his way into the building. Close to another thirty minutes passed and still there was no sign of Erica. _At least I'm not the only man you like to keep waiting_ he thought to himself. Just as St. Timothy's church bells marking the half hour quieted, Jack heard the squeal of tires and knew that Erica had arrived. _She's going to kill herself one day if she's not careful. If it's the last thing I do, I'm going to get that woman to slow down._ Jack slammed out of the car and started making his way to Erica but stopped short when he saw John emerging from the Inn's entrance to greet her. When he finally reached Erica, John gave her a perfunctory kiss on the cheek and escorted her inside. On the surface everything appeared perfectly normal but something about Erica's gait gnawed at Jack.

He was still stewing two minutes later when he was startled by a light tap on the window. Jack looked up and saw Mariele standing in front of him. _Great, just what I need_ Jack thought as he smiled politely. Jack raised his hand and waved hoping she'd go away but Mariele held her ground. Finally, he unfastened his seatbelt and exited the car, bussing her lightly just beneath her jaw. "Mariele . . ."

"Jack." 

"Meeting someone for a late lunch?"

"Actually, I was looking for you . . ."

Jack was taken aback. "Me? What made you think you'd find me here?"

"Erica." 

"Erica? I don't understand?"

"She said you'd be here . . ."

"How–?"

"She called her office from my place and spoke to some underling, Meggie, perhaps? I don't remember; whatever, it's not important" Mariele finished, brushing a lock of Jack's hair away from his eyes.

"Peggy." 

Mariele's nerves were on end and she was growing increasingly impatient. "Okay, she spoke to Peggy. You Americans. You get bogged down in such trivial matters" she said, waving her hand dismissively.

"Oh, I don't know Mariele. It seems to me that it's only good manners to call people by their correct names. And we got rid of serfdom years ago."

"Are we going to discuss this all afternoon or can we move on to a more interesting topic?"

Jack grandly stretched out his arm. "Please forgive me. The floor is yours . . ."

"Peggy" Mariele said with emphasis "mentioned to Erica that you were looking for her and knew about her lunch meeting with John Andrews. I guess she knows you pretty well, because Erica automatically assumed you'd be here waiting for her."

"Is that right? And just why would Erica share that information with you or for that matter, be at your place to begin with" Jack asked, clearly puzzled. "The two of you are not exactly friends." The bitter set of Mariele's mouth confirmed Jack's suspicions. The two women had not turned a corner in their relationship.

"We had important business to discuss. It seems the two of you are–" 

"The two of us? Mariele, there is no 'the two of us.' Obviously you misunderstood something Erica said–"

"Give it up Jack. I know the two of you are together. The jig, as you say, is up."

"Mariele, suppose you tell me exactly what the two of you were up to this morning. And do us both a favor and don't leave anything out."

"Fine, but let's do it inside. I'm getting chilly and besides, the whole reason I'm here is so that you can keep an eye on John–and your sweet Erica, of course." 

As Jack took Mariele by the elbow and began escorting her into the Valley Inn he glanced over in the direction of John's car. He stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed it was gone. _What the_ . . . Jack quickly scanned the parking lot for Erica's car. It was still there. For a brief moment he was relieved but then a sudden chill ran down his spine. "What the hell are you up to Mariele?" he shouted. "So help me, if anything has happened to Erica . . ."

The color drained from Mariele's face. "Jack, I swear" she yelled after him but he had already taken off in a dead heat, bounding up the stairs to the Valley Inn, two at a time. When he reached the dining room, his darkest fears were confirmed. Erica was nowhere to be found.

Jack stood motionless at the doorway. Though his mind raced in a thousand directions, his body remained rooted to he floor. _Derek, I've got to call Derek. And Tad. Aidan. Anyone, anyone that can help me find her. My God, if I lose her now, after all of this, after everything we've been through, I . . . I . . ._ Jack was unable to complete the thought, the horror of it all so overwhelmed him. He grabbed the cell phone out of his suit pocket and began dialing the PVPD when he felt a hand on his back. "Please, Mariele, not now" he barked, and stepped out of her grasp. When again Jack felt the woman reach out to him he spun around to confront her and found himself staring into the most beautiful pair of brown eyes ever to have graced the planet. His heart just about exploded in his chest as he took Erica into his arms and held her close. He wanted to stay like that forever but the fear of losing her overtook him and as his body relaxed into Erica's, Jack felt his knees buckle. Somehow, Erica managed to support his weight and nudged him toward the lobby chairs.

"Sweetheart, you're okay?" Jack said, turning to face her.

"I'm fine, but I'm not so sure about you" Erica replied, concern etched in her voice. "You look white as a sheet."

"Now that I have you next to me, I couldn't be better."

"Yes, well, maybe we should drop by and see Joe Martin just to be sure. You almost collapsed in there . . ."

"Erica, really, I'm fine. I was just so, I was just so worried about you. What happened? I saw you walk inside with Andrews and the next thing I know, Mariele's talking my ear off, he's gone and you're nowhere to be found."

"Where is Mariele anyway?"

"Forget about Mariele. Just tell me what happened."

"Honestly, Jack, there's really not much to tell. We sat down, exchanged a few words–nothing important, I promise you–and then his phone rings. Two minutes later he's making his excuses and saying goodbye. Rather than sit alone for lunch I decided I'd go back to the office and catch up on work."

"Then where were you when–" 

"The ladies room, Jack. That's all."

"I see you found her" Mariele said, suddenly appearing by Jack and Erica's side. "You do like to create drama, don't you Erica?"

"That's almost funny coming from you. After all, you're the one responsible for putting this entire scheme into motion."

"I told you why–" Mariele offered.

"Oh yes, you told me but only after I confronted you. And if you think for one moment you're going to play on Jack and my sympathies, you've got another think coming."

Mariele let out a rueful laugh. "Sympathy from Erica Kane. Is that even possible?" 

"Okay" Jack interrupted. "How about we table this little lovefest for back in my office? I'm sure whatever it is that went on between the two of you today is better off being discussed in private, yes?" Both women nodded their heads in agreement. "Okay then, my office in" Jack looked at his watch "ten minutes. And no detours. It's time I found out—"

"Mom? Uncle Jack? What are you two doing here?"

Jack's back was to Bianca so she was unable to see him close his eyes and count to ten. He loved his niece to death but damn. if she didn't have the worst timing in the world. "Bianca, sweetheart, how are you?" Jack asked, rising to his feet. He leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead.

"Honey, what are you doing in this neck of the woods? And where's that beautiful baby of yours?" Erica said, hugging her daughter.

"She's with Kendall. They're having godmother/goddaughter time. Don't ask me why but I think Kendall's going to attempt baking cookies." As Jack and Erica both smiled at the notion, Bianca noticed a tall blonde woman, standing off to the side. "I'm sorry. Have we met?" 

"Forgive my manners" Jack said. "Mariele Girtz, I'd like you to meet my niece and owner of Cambias Industries, Bianca Montgomery. Mariele is one of Thorquist's chief architectural consultants; the firm Ryan hired to work on the building upgrades." After the two women exchanged pleasantries, the room was suddenly filled by an awkward silence so Jack jumped into the breach. "I'm sorry, honey" he said turning back to face Bianca. "Your mother, Mariele and l were just about to adjourn to my office to finish up a meeting about the project. You're welcome to join us . . ." 

Bianca smiled politely. "As fascinating as that sounds, I think I'm going to pass. But if it wouldn't be too inconvenient, mom, I'd love to talk to you about something. I know now's not a good time."

Jack could tell Erica was torn. Much as he wanted to get to the bottom of this whole thing, he knew how important it was for Erica to spend time with her daughter, particularly since Bianca was the one initiating the conversation. "Erica, Mariele and I can get take it from here. Just check in with me when you're done. We still have those campaigns to discuss." 

"I'll do that. Oh, and Mariele, please don't forget to mention all those little details you and I went over earlier. Jack thrives on learning ALL the facts and figures."

"I promise you, Erica. Jack will be in good hands" Mariele offered smugly. As if on cue, she took his arm and made a big show of being escorted out of the Valley Inn. Once they exited the building, Jack turned to Mariele. "You can let go of my arm now."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten (by Mary)

Erica looked across the table at Bianca and smiled. Even though her mind was racing with thoughts about what Mariele had told her, she was happy to see Bianca and thrilled that her daughter wanted to talk to her.

After Enrique brought their coffees, Erica sipped hers and said to Bianca, "So, what did you want to talk about, honey?"

"I've been doing a lot of thinking," Bianca replied. "About you and me, about Miranda . . . and about Grandma." Bianca's eyes filled with tears as they always did when she talked about Mona.

"What about her?" Erica asked gently, reaching over and squeezing Bianca's hand.

"I've been thinking about what she would always tell us," Bianca said softly, "That we were a legacy of strong women–Kane women–and now Miranda is the littlest Kane woman."

"Yes, she is," Erica smiled in agreement.

"I miss Grandma," Bianca said sadly.

"I know, honey," Erica said. "Not a day goes by that I don't think of her. She's still with us, though. You know that."

Bianca nodded. "I do. I've been thinking about what she would have wanted for us and I don't think this is it."

Erica looked at her questioningly and Bianca continued. "Ever since you came home, I've been keeping you at a distance. I kept telling myself that it was because I wasn't sure that you could really accept Miranda but, to be honest, I was punishing you for leaving." 

"I don't blame you for feeling that way," Erica told her daughter. "I let you down, Bianca. I should have been there for you. I should have been supportive but I just couldn't do it. But I'm stronger now. Thanks to Jack, and you and Kendall and everyone else in our strange but wonderful family, I'm stronger than I've ever been before."

"I want us to be close again, Mom," Bianca said tearfully. "I want Miranda to know her grandmother. I want the two of you to spend time together. Time is too precious for us to waste it."

"I would love to spend time with Miranda," Erica replied joyfully. "You don't know how much I've wanted that. Oh, honey," she reached over and took Bianca's hand again. "I love you and I love that little girl of yours."

"Then it's settled," Bianca said, smiling through her tears. "The legacy of strong Kane woman will continue."

"I can feel your grandmother watching us right now," Erica said, "And I just know she's smiling." She walked over to Bianca and hugged her, feeling as if the final piece of her homecoming had finally fallen into place.

———

Jack tried to digest everything that Mariele had just told him but his head was spinning. Whatever he had been expecting to hear, this wasn't it.

"So you're telling me that your father went into a partnership with Olaf Thorquist and then was betrayed by both him and Alexander Cambias Sr.?" he asked Mariele.

"Precisely. Olaf had no real interest in refurbishing the fishery. But after both he and Alex put their heads together, they knew that approaching my father in that manner would garner the results both men were after." 

"Verkaat?" Jack interjected.

Mariele looked surprised. "When did you–?"

"This morning. You planted that little bit of information, didn't you?"

"I wanted to make sure the truth would come out, no matter what the cost."

"Uh, huh, I can tell" Jack replied derisively.

"Please, Jack, let me finish. Once you hear the whole story, you'll understand."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that if I were you, Mariele. After what just happened at the Valley Inn, my patience with you and this entire situation is wearing more than a little thin." Jack considered the dejected look washing over Mariele's face and softened. "Fine, go on."

"Three months after the irrigation system was completed, Cambias gave the order to start diverting massive amounts of toxic waste from their more costly cylinder transport system into the new irrigation unit. As soon as my father became aware of Verkaat's misuse, he tried to stop them–turn them in, as you say–but they were just too powerful. Instead they fabricated documents to make it appear as though he orchestrated the change for his own personal gain and in the process, they destroyed the reputation he worked all his life to build. But my father's a stubborn man–"

"Like his daughter?" Jack offered.

Mariele smiled faintly and continued . "He refused to back down. He knew there had to be some way of linking Cambias and Thorquist to the dumping. He was collecting the final soil sample he needed to expose them when Alex and Olaf discovered his plan and panicked. Thirty minutes later there was an explosion at Verkaat's central filtering system which all but destroyed any hope my father had of clearing his reputation and bringing the true culprits to justice. That's when my father went underground." She looked at Jack pleadingly, hoping for some glimmer of understanding.

"But your father returned," Jack pointed out. "Two years later."

"Yes, he did. They made sure he got word that my mother was very ill, which, unfortunately was true and when he came home, he was arrested," Mariele paced back and forth in front of Jack's desk. "Their attorneys notified my father that, unless he pleaded guilty to the charges, they'd make sure my mother's access to some very costly medical treatment would be blocked."

"That's quite a story," Jack said, leaning back in his chair.

"And it's all true," Mariele said passionately. "My father is a good man–an honest man–and that's what I've been trying to prove." 

"How is embezzling money from Cambias Industries going to prove your father's innocence?" Jack asked wryly.

Mariele stopped pacing and stared. "What?"

"You heard me. The missing money, Mariele. Explain that."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Mariele stated.

They both turned as the door opened and Erica came in. Jack could tell immediately that things had gone well with Bianca. Relieved that he apparently didn't have to worry about Erica and his niece anymore, he turned to the matter at hand.

"Mariele was just bringing me up to speed on what she told you earlier today," Jack got up and walked around his desk.

"Yes, that was very…interesting," Erica said somewhat suspiciously.

"It's all true, Erica," Mariele insisted. She stepped closer to Jack. "I wanted to tell you all of this, Jack, really I did. I knew you would understand…" She reached up to touch his face and Erica stepped forward.

"We'll have to check all this out," Erica said, moving Mariele firmly toward the door. "I hope for your sake that you're not lying to us."

"I'm not," Mariele said, looking back. "I don't know anything about the embezzlement, Jack. I swear I had nothing to do with it." She turned and left.

Erica glared at the door for a long moment after Mariele left. "That woman is a thief and a liar," she declared emphatically, turning back to Jack.

"I'm not so sure," Jack replied.

Erica stared at him in amazement. "Don't tell me you believe her about the money?"

"Calm down, sweetheart, I'll check out everything she told me," Jack said. "If she's lying, we'll find out."

"I have no idea how that woman always manages to twist you around her little finger," Erica sniped.

"The only finger I want to be twisted around, as you well know, is yours," said Jack, walking over and pulling her closer. He bent to kiss her softly. "Now, tell me, what happened with you and Bianca?"

Erica's face lit up. "She wants us to be close again, Jack," she said happily. "It did work out, just like you said it would."

"I knew it would," Jack replied, smiling down at her. "The two of you have a very special relationship. It may have its rocky patches, but it can never be destroyed."

"Everything I've wanted since I came home is finally happening," Erica said happily, laying her head against his chest with a contented sigh.

"Not to mention that this whole mess is coming to an end," Jack added, kissing the top of her head. "Speaking of which, I need to talk to Ryan." He walked back around his desk and picked up the phone. "What the hell was he thinking when he hired Thorquist? It's pretty obvious he didn't do his homework."

"Ryan didn't exactly excel as head of Cambias Industries, Jack," Erica reminded him. "That's why we're here."

"He's on his way." Jack put down the phone and walked back over to her. "It's probably better if you're not here. We should play it safe for a little longer."

Erica pouted and wound her arms around his neck. "Well, Mariele knows we're still together, you called Peggy looking for me earlier today and you should have seen Dot's face when I walked by her on my way in here. Do we really need to keep pretending?" She ran her fingers through his hair as she spoke and moved closer. "I want the whole world to know we're engaged again."

"Uh, sweetheart, this really isn't a good idea right now," Jack stammered as her lips moved along his jaw line.

"Don't be ridiculous, Jack, of course it is," she responded, her breath fanning his cheek. "I've missed you since this morning." He gave in as her lips reached his, pulling her back against the desk with him as they kissed passionately.

"Jack, I–oh, sorry–_again_," Kendall's voice brought them back down to earth.

Jack placed his hands on Erica's shoulders and moved her determinedly away from him. "It's alright, Kendall, come on in. Your mother was just leaving."

"So I see," Kendall observed. "I just wondered if there was any progress on the spreadsheet."

"Actually, there is," Jack replied. "Ryan is on his way here now." He looked at Erica insistently. "Which is why you're leaving, remember?"

Erica sighed and headed toward the door. "Fine, just remember to check out that little sob story you were fed earlier," she said to Jack. She hugged Kendall quickly on her way out the door. "Call me, honey. We need to do lunch again soon."

"What does Ryan have to do with this?" Kendall asked Jack when they were alone. "You don't mean–"

"Relax, Ryan doesn't have anything to do with the missing money," Jack reassured her. "But if he was paying more attention on his watch, this probably wouldn't have happened."

Jack noted the little smile that Kendall tried and failed to suppress. "I guess Ryan wasn't as brilliant at business as he thought he was going to be."

"I'll fill you in later," Jack said as the door opened and Ryan strolled in.

"Hey, Jack, what's going on?"

"I'll leave you two alone," Kendall headed toward the door, the self-satisfied smile still in place as she walked past Ryan.

"What's she so happy about?" Ryan asked as the door closed behind Kendall. 

"Some idea for the new marketing campaign," Jack said smoothly. "I need to talk to you about when Thorquist came on board."

"What about it?" Ryan asked uneasily.

"How much research did you do before hiring them?"

"Why? Is something wrong?"

"Maybe," Jack acknowledged vaguely. "What about the research?"

"Uh, well, I requested the background info," Ryan said, stammering slightly. "Then I put it aside to look at later."

"And?" Jack's eyebrow went up.

"And–I got busy and I guess I didn't really look at it," Ryan finished, sinking into a chair opposite Jack's desk. "You don't know how hard it was, Jack, trying to stay on top of everything." He looked at Jack pleadingly.

Jack sighed and massaged his temples. "I just wish you had read the information, Ryan. It could have saved all of us a lot of time–money."

"Are things so bad that now that they can't be fixed?" Ryan asked.

"I don't know," Jack replied. "I hope not."

Ryan waited to be filled in on the particulars but when it became clear that Jack had no intention of sharing any details of the situation with him, he stood up to leave. "I'm really sorry, Jack. Uh, you won't mention this to anyone, will you?" Taken aback, Jack simply stared back at him. "On second thought, forget I said that."

Ryan hurried out of the office and Jack picked up the phone. He knew Beppe and Dino would be able to check out Mariele's story fairly quickly and get back to him. They already knew about Girtz's involvement with Thorquist and Cambias. But that business about his being set up was still a question mark. Despite Erica's skepticism, he had a gut instinct that Mariele was telling the truth. But if she is, he thought wearily, what the hell happened to that missing money?

———

Mariele crossed the Valley Inn dining room and sat down opposite John. He waved the waiter away impatiently and looked at her with narrowed eyes before he spoke.

"What took you so long?" he finally asked.

"I was busy," Mariele replied. "I can't just drop everything and come running every time you call." Her gaze fell on the large manila envelope on the table. "What's that?"

"See for yourself," he answered, pushing the envelope over to her. Mariele opened the envelope and looked at the pictures of Jack and Erica without speaking. "Well, what do you think?" John asked her, leaning across the table. When she didn't answer, he continued. "I'll tell you what I think. I think we're both being played–you by the former district attorney and me by the fair Erica. The question is why."

Mariele put the pictures aside. "I have a question of my own," she said. "How did us trying to get information to clear my father result in a large sum of money being missing from Cambias Industries?"

"What are you talking about?" John asked with a frown.

"I'm talking about the fact that since Thorquist came on board at Cambias, someone has apparently managed to help themselves to money that doesn't belong to them and I don't mean just a few dollars here and there" Mariele stated.

"How do you know about this?" John asked, seemingly at a loss.

"How I know doesn't matter," Mariele replied. "What do you know about it?"

"Nothing, absolutely nothing," said John, sitting back in his chair. "I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about." Although he sounded completely genuine, John was having difficulty maintaining eye contact.

"What about Brett?" Mariele forged ahead. "It was your idea to bring him on board and he is the one that tapped into the computer system at Cambias."

"We needed him," John reminded her. "Without him, we never would have gotten the information to clear your father."

"But who's to say what he did once he was in," Mariele pointed out. "How well do you really know him these days, John?"

"Maybe we haven't seen a lot of each other since college," John said heatedly, "but he's not a criminal, if that's what you're implying." He got up to leave.

"I hope you're right," Mariele stood also. "We don't need anything to go wrong when we're this close."

"It won't," John assured her. He looked at his watch. "I'm late. I'll be in touch." He left the dining room and Mariele stared after him thoughtfully. She hoped he was right but she couldn't erase the nagging suspicion in her mind.

———

Jack glanced at the clock on the dash one last time as he drove home to the loft. He was still rattled by the afternoon's events. He kept reliving the moment when he was sure that Erica had disappeared with Andrews and was in grave danger. As he passed the penthouse, Jack fought the urge to check in on her. He knew she was fine but still… _What the hell_, he thought, pulling into the underground garage before he could change his mind. It would put his mind at ease just to see her for a minute. If he used his key and took the back elevator, no one would see him.

Jack reached the penthouse and rang the bell. After a few moments, he heard footsteps and was reassured to see that Erica kept the security chain on and only opened the door a crack.

"Jack–what on earth?" To say that Erica was surprised was an understatement. She quickly unlocked the door and let him in.

"I know I'm being foolish but I just had to make sure you were alright," he told her. "Ever since this afternoon–well, I feel better just seeing you." Looking at her closely, he could see that she appeared slightly flustered. She looked gorgeous, of course, but her cheeks were flushed and wisps of hair had come undone from the knot on her head. He bent to kiss her but before their lips met, an ear-piercing shriek came from the direction of the kitchen.

"What the–" Jack was at a loss as Erica rushed into the kitchen but was pleasantly surprised when she came back with Miranda in her arms.

"Well, this is an unexpected treat," Jack said, smiling at his goddaughter. Miranda reciprocated with another shriek and Erica shoved her unceremoniously into Jack's arms.

"Just hold her, Jack, while I get her bottle," Erica disappeared again and Jack sat down on the sofa with Miranda. By the time Erica returned, the baby was staring up at Jack and smiling happily. Erica stared in disbelief. "Apparently, you have the magic touch," Erica observed, handing him the bottle.

"Of course–she is a Kane woman, after all," Jack responded with a twinkle in his eye.

Erica sank down next to him. "Honestly, Jack, she's such a joy and I'm so happy to spend time with her." She took a deep breath. "But when she doesn't get her own way, I swear, she's a handful." She stopped as Jack barely suppressed a laugh. "What's so funny?" 

"Uh, nothing, sweetheart, nothing at all," Jack said quickly. "So how did this come about?"

"Bianca called and said that she and Kendall wanted to go out for the evening and I jumped at the chance," Erica said, taking Miranda from Jack as she finished the bottle. Miranda yawned sleepily and snuggled in against Erica's shoulder. "It was going really well until I took too long getting her bottle ready."

"It looks like everything is under control now," Jack said, smiling at the picture the two of them made.

"She certainly has kept me busy," said Erica. "I'm exhausted–but in a good way." She looked down at her granddaughter asleep in her arms. "She reminds me so much of Bianca at this age," she said softly.

"Looking at the two of you is like stepping back in time," Jack told her. "I can remember you holding Bianca like this so many times, and you know what? Nothing has changed. I loved you then and I love you now–even more so if possible." He kissed Miranda on the top of her head and leaned over to give Erica a tender kiss.

Making sure that Miranda was asleep, Erica tiptoed over to the portable crib and put her down. Jack followed and put his arm around her as they both looked at the miracle that had changed all of their lives.

"I have to go or the kids will send out a search party," Jack said eventually. "Lock the door behind me."

"I wish you didn't have to leave," Erica followed him to the door regretfully.

"I know, but just think, in another day or two, everything will be out in the open and you'll be back at the loft with me where you belong." Jack bent to kiss her one last time, lingering slightly as her lips immediately parted under his.

"OK, now I really have to go," he confirmed, moving away from her. "I love you."

"I love you."

He listened for the click of the lock and made his way to the elevator. As he waited for it to arrive, he thought that his life couldn't possibly be any more complete. At long last, the woman that he had loved for what seemed like forever and the family that he had always wanted were going to be his.

———

John walked into the bar and squinted in the smoky darkness. He finally spotted Brett sitting in a high-backed corner booth, his back to the door. John made his way to the booth and slid into the seat across from his old college friend. As always, when John hadn't seen him in a while, he was struck by Brett's appearance. Gone was the carefree youth from their college days. In his place was a large, brutish-looking man with a permanent scowl on his face. John noted that the glass in front of Brett was empty, as were several others on the table.

"What's this about, Johnny Boy?" Brett asked belligerently. "I think I was pretty clear about not wanting us seen together."

"Yeah, I know," John said, "But something's come up."

"Your girlfriend's not happy with the job I did?"

"She's not my girlfriend," John replied. "But Mariele's more than happy with the info we got."

"So?" 

"So, it's been brought to my attention that there's a large sum of money missing from Cambias Industries," John stated bluntly. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

Brett leaned across the table. "What exactly are you accusing me of, Johnny?"

"Look, I know you and I agreed that skimming a couple of grand out of Cambias's coffers would be no big deal. A company that big isn't going to miss twenty thou. But I just came from Mariele's place. Somehow she got wise to it. Call me crazy but I doubt any red flags would have gone off with anybody over there, least of all that idiot Lavery if we stuck to our deal. You didn't happen to get a little too greedy, Brett, now did you?

Totally engrossed in their conversation, neither one of them noticed the man in the grey suit sit down in the booth behind them. Quietly ordering a drink, he listened attentively to their conversation, his face darkening as he grasped the urgency of the situation.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven (by Misha)

"Relax, man. You're way too uptight, you know that?" Brett taunted. "I may have upped the ante a little more than we talked about but considering all the hoops I had to jump through to get that computer program working the way Mariele wanted, I figured I was due. Cambias has a lot more firewalls than the average company and tapping into their archives was no easy thing."

John tried to remain cool but could feel his heartbeat racing. He quickly drained the whiskey the waitress dropped off and just as fast, ordered another. Two days ago he thought he had the world by the tail. Now his life was spiraling out of control and he had no one to blame but himself. How the hell was he going to get himself out of this mess without spending some serious time behind bars?

———

Although it was only a few minutes past 9 AM, Jack was already knee-deep in reports when there was a knock at his office door.

"Do you have a minute?" Ryan asked tentatively. Jack looked up and was taken aback. It was obvious from Ryan's appearance that yesterday's conversation had taken its toll. The kid looked like he had aged ten years in the last 24 hours. Gone was the usual jaunty grin and in its place was a haunted expression.

"Come on in, Ryan. What can I do for you?"

"I was up half the night thinking about what you and I talked about, Jack. I just wanted you to know again how sorry I am. It kills me to know that I disappointed you and your family. Bianca trusted me to look after the business for her and Miranda and I blew it. You were right. If I had just read through those files, maybe Cambias wouldn't be in the situation it is today. And, believe me, I know that saying I'm sorry doesn't change anything but it's important that you know how horrible I feel about everything."

"That's pretty clear. But beating yourself up about it now really doesn't do anybody any good."

"I just wish there was some way to make things right. I guess my old man knew what he was talking about when he said I'd be nothing but a screw-up. Anyway, before I do any more damage, I thought you should have this."

Before he even looked at it, Jack knew what it was: Ryan's letter of resignation. Jack shook his head. "Ryan, I'm sorry. I can't accept this."

"Look, Jack, if you're trying to spare my feelings, don't. It's better for all concerned if I just leave."

"Better for who? Bianca? Miranda? I don't think so. Look, you made a mistake. It happens. But I think you still have plenty to contribute to this company. Maybe you just need to take things a little slower, give yourself time to really learn the ropes. Why don't you take a few days, think this thing through. If you still feel strongly about resigning, I'll accept this" Jack replied, tossing the letter on his desk.

"I don't know Jack . . ."

"Come on, what have you got to lose?" Ryan shuffled his feet, not knowing quite how to respond. "We got ourselves a deal?"

"Thanks, Jack. I appreciate it" Ryan replied, offering him his outstretched hand.

"No problem. Now, go on, get outta here. Let me get some work done" Jack answered and walked Ryan to the door.

Jack took a deep breath. Seeing Ryan so shook up took him by surprise. While he appreciated the fact that Ryan owned his responsibility in this whole mess Jack didn't expect him to personalize it. The kid was going to have to learn to separate business problems with his feelings of self-worth. _I guess he has a lot more growing up to do than I expected . . ._ The persistent ring of the phone interrupted Jack's thoughts. He grabbed the receiver off the cradle. "Montgomery!" There was no response. "Hello, is anyone there?" Jack tried again.

Just as he was about to hang up the phone he heard a muffled noise on the other end. "Who is this?"

"Jack, it's me, John Andrews. I'm sorry. I dropped the phone."

Jack tried to remain calm. The day was quickly going from bad to worse. "Hey, John. What can I do for you?"

"Listen, I need to talk to you."

"Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't that what we're doing now?" Jack said, shaking his head.

"Not on the phone; in person. It's important."

"What did you have in mind?"

"How about we meet at the Athletic Club for a game of racquetball, say in about an hour?"

"Racquetball, huh. Think you're up for it?"

"Just meet me there. I'll call and reserve a court."

"See you in an hour." Jack hung up the phone and glanced back at the latest earning figures. He had managed to stop the hemorrhaging but profits were still flat. _I'm in the mood to kick somebody's ass, Andrews. Might as well be yours_ Jack thought to himself.

Ninety minutes later, John was doubled over, gasping for air. Despite having a few years on him, Jack had managed to run the guy all over the court, beating him soundly in the first game. Still, Jack was in no mood to show mercy and was putting the final touches on shutting him out entirely in the second when Andrews choked out his surrender. Jack wiped the sweat from his brow onto his wristband as he clamped the racquet between his thighs. "As soon as you catch your breath, maybe you can tell me what the hell you were in such a hurry to talk to me about."

"Yeah, just give me a minute" John replied and slid down the wall until he was comfortably resting on the floor. "You really do know how to humble a guy, don't you?" 

"Just trying to get in a little workout. Can I get you something to drink?"

"No, no, I'm fine." Jack looked back at him skeptically. "Really. Look, Jack, you've got to promise me that what I'm going to tell you stays between the two of us."

"I'm afraid I can't make that promise until I know what it is we're talking about."

"I'm serious. If anyone finds out about this, I'm a dead man."

"Then maybe you should be talking to the authorities and not me" Jack said and began to walk away.

"No, wait, wait. Look, I'm going to trust you but I need some kind of assurance that when we're done talking you're not going to hang me out to dry. I'm taking a chance that you'll believe I'm a decent guy who just got in a little over his head."

"I promise I'll give you a fair shot–nothing more."

John took a deep breath and began telling Jack about his conversation with Brett. "I should have realized that something big was going down but Brett and me, we go back a long time."

"To your days at Stanford . . ."

"Yeah. In college he and I were like brothers, you know. We just connected. So when Mariele came to me and said she needed help I figured he was one guy I could trust to be straight up with me."

"Despite the fact that what you were asking him to do was illegal."

"Pretty stupid, huh? Look, he was there on scholarship, same as me, and we were always trying to find a way to make a few extra bucks. Nothing too shady, just the occasional poker game, maybe scalping counterfeit football tickets to some out-of-town alums. You know, kid stuff."

"But not this time . . . ?" Jack queried.

"No, not this time. But you've got to believe me. It wasn't supposed to get this out-of-hand. Brett just got greedy . . ."

"Brett did—but not you?"

"Look, I admit I was willing to shave a few extra dollars off the top of this operation but out-and-out corporate theft? Nah, that's not me."

"So what? You're just a victim in all of this?"

"I swear to you, the first time I heard about major funds being siphoned off was when Mariele told me about it yesterday. Until then, I was just helping out a friend and making a little fast cash on the side. I had no intentions of embezzling any real money. And I had no clue that stocks were involved in this whole mess. Trust me, even if I wanted to, I don't have the stomach for it."

"And why should I believe you?" Because you say so?"

"Yeah, because I say so. And because I'm willing to risk my neck to put the guy who's responsible for it behind bars."

"I don't know. Selling out someone who's supposed to be a good friend doesn't exactly earn you points in my book."

"Well, good friends don't usually screw each other over now, do they?" John replied belligerently. This whole thing was eating him alive and he was sure he was going to walk away with a gut full of ulcers as a souvenir. "So, if it doesn't disturb your delicate sensibilities too much, do you think maybe we can figure out how to get the goods on Brett without me winding up in a body bag?"

"Don't you think you're being a bit melodramatic? After all, it's a pretty big leap from embezzling to murder."

"You don't get it, do you Montgomery? Brett's a pretty smart guy but smart guys like him can't pull off something like this on his own. And I already told you, he wasn't working with me on this so that means someone else is involved. That's the guy we need to be worried about."

"Okay, I'll bite. Who's this other guy?"

"I don't know . . . honest, I don't, but I bet if you and me put our heads together we can figure it out."

"And then what . . .?"

"And then we go to the cops and you tell them how cooperative I've been and you make sure my testimony serves as my ticket out of this nightmare."

"What? You think I can just wave a magic wand and make the PVPD do my bidding?"

"I think you have a lot of friends in the department and in the DA's office. Between that and your position at Cambias Industries, yeah, I think if you set your mind to it you can pretty much make this whole thing go away. I also think that without my cooperation Cambias stands to lose an even bigger fortune than it already has. So . . . we got ourselves a deal?"

"And Mariele?"

"Let's leave her out of it. Trust me, she had nothing to do with this." 

"Forgive me for stating the obvious, but if it wasn't for Mariele, none of this would have happened" Jack replied.

"She was trying to make things right for her family, Montgomery. Give the lady a break."

"You still care about her, don't you?" 

"How I feel about Mariele is between her and me. Seems to me you've got your hands full dealing with Erica. She is one fine-looking lady even if she is a user."

Jack leaned down and grabbed John by the collar, pulling him to his feet. "You want to keep this deal of yours alive, Andrews, I highly suggest you never mention Erica's name again. You got me?" Jack let go of John's shirt with just enough force to slam the guy into the wall.

"Easy, man, I want nothing to do with her" John exhaled, trying to regain his balance and his pride.

Jack walked off the court and headed toward the locker room only turning back to inform John that he'd meet him in the clubhouse in ten minutes.

———

By 1 PM, Jack was satisfied. All the pieces seemed to fit and it pointed to one individual. Now the question was, how to nail the sonavabitch to the wall.

John had been true to his word. Without any coaxing, he spilled the details about the operation beginning with the day Mariele first contacted him looking for help in avenging her father. From there John went on to explain his role in the plan. On the surface, working in construction seemed a far cry from corporate espionage and larceny. But with Mariele's help, he secured the subcontract with Thorquist to help retrofit the building. And as the head honcho of the project, Ryan Lavery had granted him full access to the company, including the areas that stored both their mainframe and their backup site. And that's where Brett came in.

John went on to explain Protevi's talent for all things electronic. Computers were a specialty with Brett and developing a program that could be planted on a terminal was a piece of cake for the digital genius. With the right software in place, it was easy to download information about prior business dealings and secure the proof Mariele needed to clear her father's name. That same access, in the wrong hands, also provided a handy little tool for diverting insider information on present corporate dealings. With a couple of right keystrokes, the end user would be able to restructure company-held stocks into personal growth funds and make a fortune in the process. The question was who. Who was the mastermind behind the fraud? With Brett's work history as a roadmap, it took both men only a little more probing to put the rest of the puzzle together.

———

Jack had to call in more than a few favors to get a deal that would work for both Andrews and the Pine Valley authorities. And, as luck would have it, Cambias' IT expert Hank Donia was able to provide just enough corroborating evidence to make an arrest. But before Jack could put the finishing touches on the agreement, he had one very important loose end to tie up. Knowing what was involved and the delicate work required to ensure that thread didn't get away from him, Jack wished he had paid more attention during his Boy Scout days when his troop was learning about knots.

_The hell with it. If I can't get her to cooperate with me, I'm hopeless._ Keeping one hand on the wheel of his car, Jack slipped the other one into his suit pocket, grabbed his cell and punched in her number. After three rings, Erica picked up.

"Sweetheart, it's me. I need a huge favor."

———

Twenty minutes later, Erica and Jack pulled up to the Ardmore Crossings security booth.

"Why Ms. Kane, it's good to see you again this morning."

"Thank you, Tom. It's nice to see you too. I hope Mrs. Bailey–" 

"Floreen" the guard offered.

"Floreen, of course. I hope Floreen was able to get over to Lacey's yesterday."

"Actually, we're heading over there as soon as I'm done my shift. Figured I'd take her out for an early dinner, make a day of it."

"That sounds lovely. Please give her my best."

"Will do. So, I don't suppose you're here to visit the same party as yesterday?" Tom asked, noticing the handsome gentleman in the passenger seat.

The vaguely conspiratorial tone registered on Jack's trained ear and he turned his head toward the guard in just enough time to catch the chubby old man shoot a wink in Erica's direction. Without skipping a beat, Erica smiled broadly and patted Jack's hand to reassure him her heart was his alone.

"We're here to see Mariele Girtz. She's expecting us."

Tom nodded and picked up the security phone. A moment later the gate lifted and as Erica pulled through, Jack curtly waved goodbye to his latest rival.

———

It was a toss up trying to figure out which woman was more annoyed by Jack's plan. Mariele was convinced she didn't need any help and Erica was equally sure she didn't want to offer any. Unfortunately for both of them, Jack was determined to have his way in the matter. After twenty minutes of unrelenting "but Jacks", Erica and Mariele caved. It was decided. Mariele was to leave the country immediately and Erica was to be her escort. While Mariele left the room to collect her passport and throw a handful of items into a carry-on, Erica took one last opportunity to convince Jack that there had to be another way.

"Erica, listen to me. I'm serious. We really don't have time to come up with anything better. Believe me, if I could think of any other way to get Mariele safely out of here without involving you, I'd jump on it. But the fact of the matter is there isn't one. And time is of the essence in this. Look, no one who knows either one of you would suspect that you're working as a team–and trust me, I use that term loosely. The fact that you two don't get along works in our favor." Jack suddenly lowered his voice. "Come here. Before Mariele comes back I need to tell you something."

"What is it, Jack? Jack?"

"I wasn't going to say anything until this was all over and Mariele was safely out of reach but I think maybe it's best if you know." 

"Know what?"

"Who's behind this whole thing." 

"Jack, you already told me it was John and that college friend of his . . . oh, what's his name . . . Brett."

"No, there's someone else."

Mariele had no idea what it was that Jack whispered in Erica's ear. All she knew for sure is that she wished it had been her lobe that had felt his warm breath.

———

From the moment Erica and Mariele stepped into the car until they arrived at Philadelphia's International airport, both women channeled their nervous energy into sniping at one another. All that changed the instant Erica noticed the man standing in line at the other end of the terminal. Immediately, she grabbed Mariele's arm and yanked her into the nearby Ladies room.

"Have you lost your mind? What in the world is your problem, Erica?" 

"Shut up, Mariele. Please. For once in your pathetic life, just shut up."

"Don't you tell me to shut up, you self-righteous little toad."

Erica closed her eyes, took a deep breath and tried to compose herself. _Honestly, Jackson, when I get my hands on you, you're so going to pay for this._ Just thinking about how hard Jack was going to have to work to make this up to her had an amazingly calming effect on Erica. "Look, I'm sorry I had to drag you in here, Mariele, but it was an emergency." 

"What kind of an emergency? You look perfectly fine to me. Not that I would ever choose that shade of lip gloss. It's so tawdry."

"Aren't you just the funniest thing? I would think that someone who's about to be spirited out of the country would have more important things on her mind than my choice of lipstick. But then maybe that's all your little brain can handle?"

"Erica, is there a reason we're spending this time in the lavatory?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact there is. I need to give you something." Erica rummaged around in her purse for a moment before she found what she was looking for. "Here, take this."

Mariele was confused by the shiny object Erica placed in her hand. "What the hell am I supposed to do with this?" Turning the item over again in her hands, Mariele continued. "Do you have some kind of bizarre ritual I should know about? Tidying up one last time before the plane takes off?"

Erica simply shook her head in disgust. "No Mariele. And before you move to the mirror to gaze at your 'oh so stunning reflection', let me explain."

"Yes, please do, because for the life of me I just don't understand how your mind works." But before Erica could begin, Mariele let out a loud snort. "Honestly, Erica, you are by far the vainest person I've ever known. Your initials?"

"It's a signature item, Mariele" Erica sniffed. "Get over yourself, would you please? Now, here's what you need to do . . ."

———

Erica hung up the phone and smiled. "It's all taken care of. They're on their way."

"Erica, I underestimated you. You are truly a brilliant woman and have a devilish sense of humor."

"And you, Mariele, have a thirst for revenge that I can honestly say I respect."

For the first time since the two women crossed paths, they had come to a genuine understanding. Unfortunately, it was only moments before they would be parting for the final time.

"Safe passage, Mariele. And give those two a kiss for me."

"I will, Erica. And enjoy that man of yours. He's one of a kind. A real peach."

Erica ducked behind a pole and watched. The regal blonde strode purposely toward airport security. Just as she was about to get in line she bumped into a man obviously distracted by her beauty. Mariele smiled at him sweetly and continued through the metal detector and on to her departing gate.

Moments later, the familiar drone of the security alarm sounded. Like other passengers who had neglected to empty change from their pockets, the traveler spread his arms and legs and waited patiently as a haggard guard waved the metal wand around his body but the alarms continued to sound. Pulled aside and gently patted down, the guard retrieved the offending item from his coat pocket.

"Next time, mister, empty all metal objects from your jacket BEFORE you go through the detectors" the security official lectured. "And you might want to read the sign. These aren't allowed as a carry-on item." As the guard tossed the contraband into the trash, a burst of sunshine shot through the airport window, casting a glow on the letters 'EK' emblazoned on the offending pair of tweezers.

A second later, Zach Slater was surrounded by a cadre of police officers.

———

It had been a long morning and an excruciating afternoon hanging around waiting to hear word about Slater's arrest but at last Derek called Jack with the good news.

Now it was time to move into the final phase of the plan: informing the board. Jack asked Dot to notify the appropriate parties and have them report to the boardroom in 15 minutes. That, he figured, would provide him with just the right amount of time to cobble something together. He wanted to keep the meeting short and to-the-point. If he handled this properly, he'd be able to keep at bay questions that could prove embarrassing to prior management. Ryan was feeling badly enough about the damage he caused. Jack felt no need to have the rest of the board pile on.

Jack headed over to the boardroom seeking inspiration. Moments later, it stormed through the door.

"Okay, Jackson, that's it. I've waited long enough!" Erica stood in front of him, hands on her hips.

"Sweetheart, my God, I'm so glad to see you. Derek told me you were in the clear but seeing that for myself, well, I can't tell you how relieved I am."

"Well, don't get too comfortable just yet. You and I have a few things we need to work out . . ."

"O–kay" Jack said wondering what the hell was going on. "What's this all about?"

"I went to the mat for you this afternoon, getting Mariele out of the country, without so much as a word of protest–" Jack looked at Erica with a sly grin. "Okay, maybe just a peep."

"Yeah, maybe just a little one" Jack said, clearly amused.

"So now you owe me."

"Owe you? Owe you what?" Jack asked, crossing his arms.

"I don't know–not exactly, anyway. But, I'm sure if you put that creative mind of yours to work, you'll think of something" Erica purred, sliding onto the boardroom's mahogany table. "Go ahead, use your imagination."

For the first time in what seemed like forever, Jack let out an unbridled laugh. Stretched out like a lynx was the love of his life. With eyes locked on his prey, Jack picked up the phone and dialed. "Dot, call the board members back. Tell them to make it in an even half hour."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve (by Mary)

The door opened and the board members filed in, followed closely by Kendall, Greenlee and Ryan. Jack finished straightening his tie and shuffled the papers in front of him, struggling to remember what the hell it was he was supposed to say. He knew that even glancing at Erica was not an option at this point. It would be a miracle if he could manage to gather his thoughts at all after the last 30 minutes. Erica, however, didn't seem to be having the same problem as she leaned over and re-attached his tie pin with a little smile. Kendall sat down across from them, taking in the scene with a pleased grin.

"What's making you look like the Cheshire cat?" Greenlee asked snidely. She followed Kendall's gaze across the table, taking in her father's heightened color and slightly disheveled hair. Her eyes moved to Erica, noting her less than immaculate appearance and distinct lack of lipstick.

"Oh, God," she sighed in resignation. "I knew it was too good to be true."

Kendall reached down and picked an object up off the floor. "You must have dropped this," she said slyly to Erica, handing her the earring.

Erica blushed. "Oh, thank you, honey," she said, taking it and quickly replacing it in her ear.

Jack cleared his throat and the room fell silent. "Thank you all for coming on such short notice," he began, still taking care not to look in Erica's direction. "As you're aware, the past few months at Cambias have not been our most profitable. I know that you're all concerned about our stock performance, as well as our profit shortfalls." He paused for a moment as Ryan shifted uncomfortably.

Skimming over some of the details, Jack went on to address the discrepancies surrounding the building upgrades and his subsequent investigation. He knew that it was only a matter of time before there would be questions about Mariele's and Andrews's involvement in the project but for now he focused on the details of the felonious computer software program that had diverted funds and restructured company stocks.

"All of this came to an end when Zach Slater–Alexander Cambias Jr. –was arrested at Philadelphia International Airport at approximately 5:00 p.m. this afternoon," Jack finished, finally shooting a look at Erica and noting her satisfied expression. "An in-depth report on the charges against him should be available tomorrow morning."

Jack expertly fielded a few questions from the stockholders before he continued. "In the course of our investigation, it was brought to my attention that several years ago, Cambias Industries was involved with a state-of-the-art irrigation system in Sweden, one that was supposed to revitalize the neighboring town and its fishing industry. Unfortunately, it appears that the irrigation system ended up being used for less than scrupulous purposes and was ultimately destroyed. As a result, the town suffered a great financial loss. With that in mind, I've requested information about the feasibility of developing an on-going water purification project in that region so that the irrigation system can be rebuilt and used as the developer and his family originally intended."

Hearing a familiar snicker to his right, Jack finally allowed himself to make eye contact with Erica. He raised an eyebrow at her, smiling with inner amusement when she developed a sudden interest in the report in front of her. "A preliminary study leads me to believe that the best way to accomplish this is to put off the acquisition of the Georgia textile mills and redistribute the funds intended for that proposal into the water purification project." He paused to let all of this sink in. "In closing, I'd like to thank all of you for your patience and your support. A full report with all of the details will be on your desks tomorrow."

There were a few murmurings as the board members left the room, but for the most part, Jack thought it had gone pretty well. When the door shut behind the last of the board members, Ryan came over to him and extended his hand.

"Thanks, Jack, for… well…you know," he said, visibly relieved. "I promise I'm going to give this thing 100 from now on."

"Good," Jack replied. "That's what I wanted to hear."

"I'm gonna get on this redistribution thing right away," Ryan quickly left the room and Greenlee walked over to Jack as he was shoving reports back into his briefcase.

"So, I guess you and Erica were never really broken up," she stated. "You sure had me fooled."

Overhearing the conversation, Erica hung up her cell phone and slipped her arm through Jack's. "Sorry to disappoint you," she said to Greenlee, "but I'm feeling magnanimous enough to not rub your nose in it right now. In fact, you and Kendall are both invited to the loft for dinner." Erica put her arm around Kendall's shoulders. "I just spoke with Bianca and she and Miranda are on their way there now and Reggie and Lily are picking up the Chinese food."

Jack snapped his briefcase shut. "We have a lot to celebrate," he said, smiling at the three of them. "I suggest we get going."

———

The noise level in the loft was at a fever pitch and Erica glanced at Lily to see how she was handling all of the commotion. She seemed perfectly fine and Erica marveled at how much progress she had made since coming home. Reggie and Greenlee were still arguing over the finer points of Asian cuisine, Kendall had turned up the volume on the stereo and Miranda had decided to join in the fun with a full-pitched wail.

Erica smiled as Jack came over to her and took her hand. "Happy?" he asked, holding up her hand so that her ring sparkled in the light.

"Deliriously," she replied, reaching up to touch his face.

Bianca walked over carrying Miranda. "Uncle Jack, I want to thank you for everything," she said. "I never dreamed when I asked you to take over at Cambias that anything like this could possibly have been going on."

"You don't have to thank me, kiddo," Jack said. "I was happy to do it–for you and for Miranda."

"Does that mean that you'll consider staying on as CEO?" Bianca asked.

Erica and Jack exchanged a quick look before Jack replied, "I'm going to have to think about that one. Certainly for the foreseeable future to make sure everything goes smoothly."

"He's going to need a little time off, though, in about a month or so," Erica paused. "for the honeymoon." The room fell silent and then everyone started talking at once.

"OK, OK, quiet, everyone," Jack shouted over the noise. Lily, Reggie and Greenlee came over, Kendall turned off the music and even Miranda fell silent.

"As some of you have already figured out, Erica and I are still very much together," Jack said. "In fact, two nights ago, I asked her to be my wife and she made me the happiest man in the world–once again–by saying yes."

Bianca handed Miranda to Kendall and hugged her mother. "Oh, Mom, I'm so happy," she said tearfully. "I'm sorry for what I said that day in your office."

"There's nothing to be sorry about," Erica said. "I asked you to have faith in me and you said that you would. That meant the world to me."

Bianca hugged Jack, as Erica turned to her other daughter. "I can't thank you enough for everything you did, Kendall."

"Well, you know me, I'm a sucker for true love," Kendall said somewhat wistfully.

"Yes, I do know," Erica replied. "And you're going to find it yourself one day." She smiled at Kendall, thinking once again how much they were alike.

Reggie came over and high-fived Jack. "I knew it, man. So, where are we going to live?"

"Good question," Jack answered. "I guess we'll have to discuss that."

Lily smiled shyly at her father and Erica. "Congratulations," she said carefully. "That's what people say when someone gets engaged."

"Yes, it is, sweetheart," Jack said. "Thank you." He touched Lily's arm carefully and she didn't pull away.

Greenlee approached her father and Erica. "If you're happy, Dad, then I'm happy for you." She hugged Jack and turned to Erica. "I meant what I said that day in your office though."

"I know you did," Erica replied. "You have nothing to worry about. I realize how lucky I am." As Greenlee turned away, Erica added. "Oh, I meant to tell you, the new ideas for 'Ocean Spirit' look great. Let's get together tomorrow to finalize it."

"Okay…sure," Greenlee seemed at a loss for words.

Jack put his arm around Erica and drew her close. "I know there was some discussion a while ago about a family honeymoon," he began, "but I just want to say–"

"That we're uninvited?" Kendall finished for him, laughing when she could see that she had guessed right. "You two deserve some time alone. We understand, don't we?" She looked around for confirmation.

"Yeah, man, you guys don't need us hanging around," Reggie said. "It's cool. We'll all hang out together while you're gone."

"I don't think I want to go to Europe anyway," Lily announced. "It's very far away and I'd have to get on a plane."

"I promise there will be a family trip–maybe for Christmas," said Jack. "But the honeymoon is just going to be me and my lovely bride." He bent down to kiss the top of Erica's head, lingering for a moment to inhale the scent of her hair.

"Are you still going to France?" asked Bianca.

"Paris is a definite stop," said Erica. "Our first one, I think." She exchanged a teasing look with Jack "although we'll probably visit a few other cities."

"Erica, if you're getting married in a month, won't there be a lot to do?" Lily asked. "I read that weddings take a lot of planning."

"Yes, they do, and I'm going to need help from all of you," said Erica, looking at the four girls. "And Jack will definitely need your help, Reggie."

"We can use my planner," Lily offered quickly, rushing across the room to get it.

Erica laughed. "Thank you, Lily," she said. She looked at her family gathered in front of her and smiled up at Jack. "It's going to be the most spectacular wedding this town has ever seen."

———

What a day, Jack thought wearily, dumping the last of the Chinese food containers in the trash and checking to make sure the door was locked. Glancing at the clock, he realized it was close to midnight. Greenlee, Kendall, and Bianca had finally left a half hour ago with Miranda sound asleep in her car seat and Reggie and Lily had immediately headed to their rooms to crash for the night. Even Erica had been struggling to suppress a yawn and he had sent her to get ready for bed so he could finish cleaning up.

Giving a last look around, he headed to the bedroom. The thought that Erica was there where she belonged, not across town at the penthouse, filled him with a sense of well-being. That feeling intensified when he opened the door and saw her sitting on the bed clad in one of his shirts, colorful travel brochures scattered all around her.

She looked up when she heard him come in. "I hope you don't mind," she said coyly. "My clothes are still at the penthouse."

"Well, that all depends on whether you're wearing anything other than the shirt," he said seductively, approaching the bed.

Erica swept the brochures onto the nightstand. "I think you should find out for yourself," she said, pulling him down beside her.

Jack looked into her sparkling dark eyes and smiled. "Let's see," he began, slowly sliding the shirt off one shoulder. "Nothing so far." He bent his head and kissed her bare shoulder, leaving a heated trail as his lips moved lower. He unbuttoned the top button of the shirt and she sighed, drawing him back against the pillows with her. The sudden jarring ring of the phone startled them both.

"Jack…no," Erica pouted when he reached over her to grab the phone.

"Hello?" Jack heard nothing but static, then a broken stream of words that sounded like Italian. "Hello?" he repeated.

"Jack, my friend, I am so glad I reached you," Dino's voice finally came through the phone.

"Dino? What the hell? Do you realize what time it is here?" Jack struggled to concentrate as Erica's lips moved along his jaw up to his ear. When she started to unbutton his shirt, he moved resolutely away from her and sat on the edge of the bed. He heard Erica sigh in frustration as she got up and headed toward the bathroom.

"Jack, I would not bother you if it was not important," Dino said. "Your package, it did not arrive."

"What are you talking about?" Jack asked tiredly, rubbing his forehead.

"Mariele," Dino explained. "She was not on the plane."

"Of course she was, Dino," Jack said. "Erica put her on it herself." He watched Erica come out of the bathroom and give him a questioning look as she brushed her hair.

"Jack, I am telling you, Beppe and I waited and waited. No one matching her description got off of that plane." He waited for Jack's response. "Jack? Jack? Are you there?"

"Yeah, I'm here," Jack replied.

"What do you want us to do?" Dino asked.

"Nothing right now," Jack said. "Just sit tight. I'll get back to you tomorrow." He hung up the phone slowly.

"Jack–what is it?" Erica was staring at him from across the room. "What now?"

Jack got up and crossed the room. Reaching her side, he picked her up and twirled her around in one smooth movement. "Sweetheart," he said, staring down at her. "What would you say about Paris being our second honeymoon stop? I've heard that Italy is beautiful this time of year."


End file.
